McGonagall's Daughter
by miss mcGonagle
Summary: Minerva's daughter finds love at Hogwarts, but will her new romance cost her a beautiful friendship? Set during the Marauder's sixth year at Hogwarts.
1. Default Chapter

McGonagall's Daughter is the very first piece of fanfiction I wrote. While it is certainly not my best, I like it because it _was_ my first. I've gone back and done a bit of editing...it may take me awhile becasue there are 24 chapters, but I will do my best to improve this story. I am also going to keep the original author notes, just for my own pleasure. Even though this fic has been finished for some time now I, like all writers, appreciate reviews.

Warning: the main character is one of my own original characters-if you don't like OCs or fics that are slightly non-canon leave now. Please do not read this then leave me nasty replies about mary sues or silly plot lines.

Disclaimer: I am not JKR, I only own the characters that are not from the Harry Potter books. I have merely used my feeble imagination to expand upon the genius of J.K. Rowling for the enjoyment of myself and any others who choose to read it.

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Suppressing her laughter, Celeste Potak crouched behind the stature of Fauna the Faint just outside the Arithmancy classroom and watched two third year boys fill the lock of the caretaker's broomcloset with instant cement. As a prefect Celeste knew she should have stopped the well known Ravenclaw pranksters the moment they crept into the, seemingly, empty hallway clutching their bags suspiciously. However, having a bit of a mischievous streak herself, she had decided to give them a small start on their prank before pulling one herself.

Just as Celeste was about to spring out from behind the statue and scare the daylights out of the two boys, a young man turned down the hallway and, catching sight of the two little devils, quickened his pace.

Jumping back behind the statue, Celeste cursed herself silently. Of all the people to show up when she was fooling around!

At the sound of approaching footsteps the boys spun around and groaned as they came face to face with the handsome Gryffindor sixth year. Remus Lupin smiled down at the two.

"Godfrey, East," he said gently."If you keep up these attacks against Mr. Pringle I will have to report you to Professor Flitwick. I think it would be best to leave Mr. Pringle alone, he's too old to put up with your pranks."

The two boys mumbled their apologies and shouldered their bags before shuffling away shamefaced. Behind the statue, Celeste bit her lip, she knew if she had confronted those boys, they never would have left off so easily.

Peering over the swooning witch's shoulder Celeste watched Remus crouch down to dislodge the already hardened cement from the lock and fervently wished he would go away. The last thing she wanted was for Remus Lupin to find her lurking behind a statue after she had just shirked her prefect duties. Finally, Remus managed to remove the cement and rose to his feet. But instead of heading down the hallway, he turned to face the statue.

"Celeste," he said softly, trying hard not to smile. "Ready for the picnic? James and Sirius have already got the food down by the lake."

Celeste emerged from behind the statue and carefully straightened her robes, as if behind a statue was a perfectly natural place to find a schoolmate. Face burning in spite of herself, she smiled sweetly before answering.

"Of course I'm ready. Let's go, shall we?"

Remus led the way down the hall and when he was certain he wasn't going to burst out laughing he asked Celeste how she found Lady Fauna that afternoon.

"Very well," she answered seriously. "You know, Remus, it was very lucky you came along when you did. If Mr. Pringle had caught them he would have skinned them alive."

Remus nodded but refrained from mentioning that she could have handled it just as well, he also failed to mention that he had in fact been looking for her with the help of a useful little map hidden in his pocket. He had hoped to find her alone but had found the situation amusing none the less. Celeste, fearing his silence was one of disapproval, racked her brains, searching for a subject to turn his mind away from her strange behavior.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," she said suddenly. "Was it the flu you had last month? It must have been pretty bad."

"What?" he said confusedly, then said lamely, "Oh, yeah, um, it was bad, but I'm okay, now."

He had forgotten what story he had fed everyone about his brief absence last month. He had been feeling lousy, he always did before a full moon, but he always felt better again after he had made his transformation into a werewolf. He didn't like lying to Celeste, but the thought of what she would think of him if she knew the truth made his stomach clench. Hastily, he changed the subject.

"The, er, quiddich match was brilliant, don't you think? James has won the cup for Gryffindor five years in a row now, your mom is really pleased about that I bet."

Celeste stopped so abruptly; Remus nearly walked into her. "My mom!" she shrieked."What do you know about my mom?"

Remus groaned. In his haste to turn the subject away from himself he had let slip a piece of information about Celeste he had discovered two years before.

"I'm sorry, Celeste," he said as she turned to look at him in shock and disbelief."I've always noticed a resemblance between you and Professor McGonagall, and you always spend so much time in her office, I haven't told anyone, I swear."

Once the initial shock had ebbed away, Celeste found herself rather pleased to see how observant Remus had been of herself. "How long have you known this?" she asked, considerably calmer than before.

"For about two years now," he answered.

Celeste resumed walking and began to descend the grand staircase, which led to the main entrance. She was still somewhat surprised to hear that Remus Lupin had discovered a secret that her best friend Lily Evans had only known for four years and that her steady boyfriend of almost a year was completely clueless of.

Worried he might have truly upset her, Remus apologized again.

Celeste smiled. "It's all right Remus, really. I guess its not important to keep it a secret, but my parents divorced the year before I started Hogwart's, mom hadn't changed her surname when they were married and I've always used my dad's last name, Potak. We just decided there was no reason to bring up our relationship, students might think I was getting special treatment or something. I haven't told Sirius, I doubt he'll ever figure it out.To be honest I'm not entirely surprised that you were the one to figure it out, you're more observant than most people, especially Sirius."

She sighed as she said the last bit, something that Remus noticed. He looked at her sharply; Celeste blushed and quickened her pace down the stairs.

"I hope they brought lots of food," she said."I'm famished."


	2. Chapter 2

Together they passed through the front doors of Hogwarts castle and into the pleasantly warm May sunshine. As they drew closer to the lake a whistle erupted from a nearby clump of bushes and from behind it emerged the tall form of Sirius Black, long dark hair spilling onto his broad shoulders, looking gorgeous in the afternoon light.

"Hey, beautiful," he called, striding up to Celeste and throwing his arm around her waist. "I thought you guys would never get here, the food's getting cold. Hey, Celeste," he said, looking down into her face, which barely came up to his shoulder. "I snitched a bottle of wine, think you're too young to have a taste?"

Celeste smirked; she was often teased by her friends for being younger than them, although only by a year. But what Sirius didn't know was that the wine supplied to the Hogwarts castle for the teachers' use actually came from her father's vineyards and that she had been tasting fine wines since she was ten.

"Of course I'm not too young, Sirius, but I think I'll have something to eat first," she gently removed his arm and ran ahead to join the other three waiting by the lake. She settled herself between her pretty redheaded friend, Lily Evans, and Lily's boyfriend, James Potter.

"Now look here you two," she said in a mock serious voice as James tried to push her away. "I won't have the two of you snogging while the rest of us are trying to eat. I have a very healthy appetite right know and I don't want it ruined." So saying, she picked up a turkey sandwich, poured herself some butterbeer, and began to eat.

Soon everyone followed suit and there was a relative silence broken only by the chinking of plates and bottles. By the time everyone had started on seconds, however, conversations began to spring up. James began telling an awestruck Peter Pettigrew once again how he had managed to win the quiddich cup with a spectacular dive, catching the snitch right under the Slytherin seeker's nose. Peter was the only one James could really impress with this story, even Lily had gotten tired of it by now.

Next to James, Celeste and Lily were discussing the O.W.L. exams and how difficult the Potions exam was likely to be. Lily and the others had taken them the year before, but Celeste would be taking them in a few weeks time. Celeste was an overall good student, but it was common knowledge she was terrible in Potions, at the moment she was telling Lily about how the bad grade she had received on her last piece of Potions homework had earned her detention.

Remus, sitting between Peter and Sirius, had been listening to Sirius list the things he wanted to do on their next Hogsmead visit, but soon Remus' eyes were drawn to Celeste. He tried to focus on what Sirius was saying, but he couldn't help noticing how her dark brown hair kept falling into her face, or how animated her face had become as she gave Lily a blow by blow account of her detention with Professor Brewster and how part of a pickled rat brain had gotten caught in her hair.

The conversation soon turned to the summer vacation, there was some talk of them all getting together some how, but there didn't seem to be a time that would work for everyone. Remus would be working for his uncle, Celeste was going to France with her father, and James and Sirius were traveling to Morocco with Mr. and Mrs. Potter who owned a summer home there.

After Peter had expressed his awe at the amount of money the Potter and the Black families had, Sirius gave a short, bark-like laugh. "I know who won't be having a very enjoyable summer," he said happily.

"And who might that be," Lily asked."Whose future misery is bringing you such joy, Sirius?"

Sirius smirked. "Why, none other than Snivellus Snape. His parents are planning to host a few Pureblood cocktail parties this summer, among others; my mother has been invited. Ah, yes, I'll be soaking up the sun while Snivellus is pouring drinks for my dear old mum, ha!"

While James joined in his laughter, Remus saw Celeste shoot her boyfriend a very dirty look. Remus knew she and Lily were not fond of the pranks James and Sirius liked to play on Severus Snape, Remus didn't care for them either, but Severus usually gave as good as he got, and the two Gryffindors had been left looking foolish more than once.

Remus suddenly wondered why Celeste chose to go out with Sirius. He was handsome, yes, and even occasionally funny, but they really had very little in common, and at times Celeste looked at him in utter dislike, like now. Sirius didn't even know what color eyes she had, he thought they were brown, they were in fact gray, flecked with emerald. Remus admonished himself sternly, he was merely being jealous. Last spring Sirius Black, who could have dated any girl in the school, had asked out the only girl Remus had ever really liked. The girl he had had a crush on since his fourth year. It was his own fault he didn't ask her first, Remus reminded himself ruefully.

After the picknick, the six friends headed back to the castle, James once again talking about the quiddich game and occasionally ruffling his hair.

"You know, James," said Celeste, suddenly."I bet if you keep running your fingers through your hair like that you'll probably pull it all out one day."

Lily started to giggle but stopped at a look from James, Remus and Sirius however, burst out laughing. Peter couldn't make up his mind and so settled on a nervous laugh and a sneeze.

Back in the common room everyone said good night and went to their separate dormitories. But Celeste asked Sirius to stay a moment; there was something she wanted to talk over with him.

-

Remus woke early the next morning, rolling over to try and get back to sleep, he caught sight of Sirius sitting on the bed next to his, head in his hands.

"Sirius," he said, groggily. "What's wrong with you?"

Sirius looked up; hands away from his face Remus could see he was very pale and looked as if he hadn't slept all night.

"Celeste broke up with me," he said croakily. "Said we didn't have enough between us to be more than friends."

Wide-awake now, Remus sat up in bed. "Looks like it hit you hard," he commented softly, not mentioning the fact that he had been thinking just the night before how incompatible they were.

"Yeah, well its not as if I'd ever been rejected before, is it?" Sirius gave a small laugh. "But she's right, you know. I've been thinking about it all-night and, well, she's just too good for me. She'd be better off with someone else."

Remus' stomach gave a small squirm; he'd very much like to be that someone else, he knew. But he couldn't think of that right now, Sirius needed his help.

"Listen, mate," said Remus, climbing out of bed. "We've got a Hogsmead visit today, clean yourself up and let's have some breakfast. Maybe a visit to the village will keep you mind off things for awhile."


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to my COS friends, LouisaB and Mollisk (Molly), for the lovely reviews!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Celeste woke the morning of the Hogsmeade visit wondering why she felt somewhat guilty. Then she remembered, the night before in the common room she had taken Sirius aside and told him it was over. He had taken it pretty hard, but Celeste was sure that once his bruised ego had healed a bit, he would be fine.

Celeste hoped he would be all right anyway. They had been dating a long time, almost a year, but she knew it was just out of habit. Her parents had divorced mainly because her mother's job, taken year after they married, kept her at Hogwarts most of the year. They were never together long enough to develop comfortable habits around each other and when they were together it was chaos, their love had kept them together for twelve years, but a long distance marriage just couldn't last. Celeste and Sirius had just the opposite problem. They were always together, and so used to each other that it had taken Celeste almost a year to realize that she didn't love him.

The guys had left for Hogsmeade early leaving Celeste free to tell Lily about the night before. Lily approved of Celeste's decision; she had been expecting it for some time. Lily liked Sirius very much and knew he would take the rejection hard for awhile, but she agreed with Celeste that soon enough he would be back to normal, pulling pranks and ignoring every girl that dared to look his way.

When they had finished discussing this Lily asked if Celeste was planning to come to the village.

"No," Celeste sighed. " I'd better stay here and get started on that Potions essay, what was it, three rolls of parchment?"

Lily laughed. "Actually you said it was four, and I just know that when I get back you won't even have started on it."

Celeste smiled ruefully and agreed this was probably true.

After seeing Lily off in the entrance hall, Celeste thought about what she might do. The common room was filled with students studying for O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, and she really did not wish to join them. She considered stopping by her mum's office for a chat, but hit upon a better idea as she watched a group of Slytherin students leaving the castle for Hogsmeade.

Stopping only a moment to exchange pleasantries with Peeves the Poltergeist, Celeste hurried towards the library. Creeping in silently, so as not to disturb the cranky librarian, Celeste searched the aisles until she found the very person she was looking for, sitting at a table in the back of the library, engrossed in a large, ancient looking volume. Seating herself across the table, Celeste waited silently to be noticed.

Happening to glance up as he turned the page, Severus Snape scowled as he caught sight of Celeste watching him patiently.

"Have a moment?" Celeste inquired politely. "I was hoping we could talk."

Severus raised a dark eyebrow. "Oh," he said. "You were?"

"Yes, right now, actually."

Severus raised his other eyebrow. "Right now," he repeated.

Celeste rose to her feet. "Yes, right now you dolt. Follow me," she said imperiously, taking him by the wrist and leading the way out of the library and out to the courtyard.

Once outside he laughed. "Serious business, I take it."

Celeste looked at him reproachfully. "You're impossible," she said crossly. "I can't even have a conversation with my most beloved childhood friend without beating you over the head, can I?"

"Where would you like to talk?" he asked with a small bow of submission.

"The stone bench over near the woods," she answered promptly.

"It rained last night," Severus commented, surveying the mud soaked grounds. "Tell me princess, would you like me to carry you across the muck?"

"No thank you," she answered lightly. Bracing herself against his shoulder, she removed her shoes and socks, rolled her jeans up to her knees, and started out across the wet lawn.

Sitting down on the damp bench, Severus turned the cuffs of his jeans up off his muddy boots. He winced as a cold drop of rain dripped off the tree above and rolled down his neck. She _would_ pick such a miserable place to talk, he thought glumly, as he watched Celeste squish her toes in the puddle of mud in front of their bench.

"How do you plan on cleaning those off before you go back inside the castle?" he asked suddenly, pointing at her feet.

Celeste thought a moment. "In the fountain I suppose"

Severus rolled his eyes, imagining what Minerva McGonagall would say if she saw her daughter washing her feet in the marble fountain in the courtyard.

"So what are you doing this summer, Sev?" she asked, "Rumor has it your parents are going to be throwing some parties, why wasn't I invited?"

"Very funny Celeste, you know my mum can't stand you, even if you were a pureblood I doubt she would invite you," he frowned at her a moment, then continued, "I'll probably spend most of my time in the tree house, if that's all right with you of course."

Celeste laughed. The tree house he referred to was one her father had built for her when she was small. It was in the backyard of her mother's summerhouse, less than half a mile from the Snape mansion. Her mother rarely used the house now, but before Celeste had started Hogwarts they would spend the summers there together.

That was how Celeste had met Severus when she was four and he was five, they would play pirate ship and rain forest together up in the tree house and even though Celeste now spent the summers with her father, Severus still visited the tree house whenever he could. He stayed there mostly to avoid his parents; sometimes he took blankets and spent the night. Now it was a little joke between the two of them.

"All right, now what was it you wanted to talk to me about," Severus asked, wishing the bench was not so wet.

Celeste took a deep breath. "I'm going to tell you something that should make you very happy, last night I broke up with Sirius."

Severus nodded but didn't seem surprised. "I've always wondered why you ever went out with that egotistical moron in the first place."

Celeste turned her face away so he would not see her smile. The reason she had gone out with Sirius was simply because he reminded her of her childhood friend, Severus Snape. She would never confess this to either of them, but it was true. Although Celeste had never been romantically attached to Severus, she cared for him deeply and was fascinated by the likeness she saw in Sirius. They looked nothing alike, although each was tall and had long black hair. Their likeness came from something else; something if Celeste could have named it, would have called arrogance. An arrogance which was born to all those of a wealthy pureblooded family. There was also vulnerability under their tough appearances that appealed to Celeste's nurturing nature. They also had similar situations at home, two sets of parents, each a disappointment to their sons.

Turning back to Severus, Celeste continued. "There's something else you might not like so well," she paused, unsure, but Severus' eyebrows rose again and she went on. "I'm in love with Remus Lupin."

Whatever Severus had expected, it wasn't this. He was silent for a moment, thinking it over. He knew that she and Remus had been friends for a long time, he sometimes checked her more wild sensibilities, but Severus had never imagined Celeste felt that way about him. The more he mused over Remus' character, however, the more he became convinced that Remus Lupin was just the sort of guy Celeste needed, calm, sensible, and loyal. Severus didn't particularly like Remus, but that was because he was good friends with the two people Severus hated most, but if Celeste really felt that way...

Realizing that Celeste was waiting for a response, he asked, "Does Remus know how you feel?"

Celeste blushed. "Well, no," she answered. "I mean, I just broke up with Sirius last night. And I'm not sure he feels the same way, I, I think he does."

No, Severus thought. Remus didn't seem to be the kind of guy who would feel all right about taking his friend's girl, but there had to be something wrong with him if he wasn't in love Celeste Potak.

Severus often marveled that he wasn't in love with her himself, as it was she was like a little sister to him and he had never cared for her to be more than that. Severus wondered as he watched her twirl a wildflower between her fingers, how even a narcissic fool like Sirius Black could have parted with a girl like her so easily.

"Perhaps you _would_ be better off with Lupin," he said aloud.

"Oh, I'm so glad you think so," she beamed at him. "Do you know, he's known about mum for two years now, he told me yesterday!"

Severus started to say that Lupin wasn't a blind idiot, when he noticed a group of students returning from Hogsmeade.

"I'd better go," he muttered, standing up.

"Why, Severus," Celeste said mockingly, "are you afraid of what the Slytherins would say if they saw you in the company of a Gryffindor, or even worse, a halfblood?"

Severus looked down at her a moment. The truth was he didn't care what his house would say, he was more concerned about _her_ house. Celeste was rather popular and well liked, Severus wasn't sure her social position would be helped if people knew she kept company with a none too popular Slytherin like himself. Because she was his friend and he cared about her Severus did not want to ruin her chances with Remus, even if he was a friend to Potter and Black. He did not tell her this, however.

"No," he said at last. "I'm afraid of what they would say about your feet. Get a start on your Potions homework, by the way. It's due Monday."

Celeste watched him walk up to the castle and disappear inside before she followed. When she reached the courtyard, she walked over to the huge fountain and stepped into the icy water. Careful not to be sprayed by the water gushing out of a badger's mouth, Celeste swished her feet around the side to remove the mud. She waved cheerily at some passing Hufflepuffs but at the sight of some approaching Slytherins, decided her feet were clean enough. Drying them with her socks, she headed back inside the castle.


	4. Chapter 4

Upon entering the common room, Celeste found that most of the students had either left for a late lunch, gone to the library, or thrown their ink bottles against the wall and disappeared to their dormitories to rest their weary minds. Celeste stepped carefully over the broken glass and paused a moment to give advice to a frustrated second year who was playing wizard chess against his older brother. The younger brother won, thanks to Celeste, who was too busy staring at a pair of socks lying under an armchair to hear his appreciation.

Spotting the socks had just reminded Celeste that her feet were cold, she had been so caught up in the chess game she had forgotten. Crossing the common room, Celeste reached under the chair and pulled out the socks. The smell that emanated from them was so bad; she stuffed the back under the chair and went up to her dormitory to find clean ones. It wasn't until she was rummaging through her trunk that she realized the smelly socks were hers and had probably been under the chair for weeks.

No wonder they stank, she thought as she slipped on a pair of Lily's socks she had borrowed at Christmas and had not bothered to return.

Down in the common room again, Celeste stretched out on a couch and propped a textbook against her knees. She dug in her bag a moment and came out with a quill and a fresh piece of parchment. For about half a minute she considered starting on her Potions essay, but when her quill had finished scratching a few moments later, she had written this:

_Dear Dad,_

_Only a few weeks left until I see you again and we head off to France!_

_I know you said we could visit Paris again, but I was hoping we could visit Luxembourg one day also, just for the day, you know how much I love it there._

_Anyway, here at Hogwarts the O.W.L. exams will start soon. I feel certain I will do well, although I'm not looking forward to my Potions exam. At least next year I won't have to take that miserable subject. _

_Send Odette back with a letter full of news, I miss you and will have lots to tell you when I see you._

Love from your daughter, Celestina 

Celeste set the letter aside, she would send it on her way to dinner. Looking at the book she had used as a desk, she saw it was her Arithmancy book. Ignoring the fact that she was an excellent Arithmancy student and would do better to study her Potions book instead, Celeste cracked open the book and began to read, occasionally taking notes or working difficult problems out on a scrap of parchment.

After about two hours of Arithmancy and an occasional doze, Celeste put her things back in her dormitory and left for the Owlry. Once inside Celeste looked up in the rafters for the owl her father had bought her for her thirteenth birthday.

"Odette," she called softly. "Odette"

The large tawny owl soared down to the window ledge, clipping her wing on Celeste's shoulder in greeting. Celeste tied her letter to the owl's leg and wished her a pleasant journey. She watched Odette's progress a few moments, and then made her way to the Great Hall. Still in her socks, Celeste walked over to the Gryffindor table. Her friends had already returned and, much to her dismay, the only seat close to them was beside James and across from Sirius. Celeste sat down with a sudden foreboding that the evening would not be nearly as enjoyable as the morning.

-

During the meal, Celeste's friends talked happily about their trip to Hogsmeade, most of them did anyway. Lupin gazed thoughtfully at Celeste from his seat beside Sirius, and Sirius kept his eyes on his plate. Celeste glanced over at him occasionally and, knowing that she had caused his distress, did not enjoy her meal in the least. It was a relief when desert was eaten and she could leave the Great Hall with everyone else.

As Celeste joined the throng of students climbing the marble staircase to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw common rooms, she was surprised to find James by her side.

"Celeste," he said, looking behind them to where Sirius was walking with Remus and Lily, "Listen, I don't blame you for breaking up with Sirius, we all know he'll get over it eventually, but right now its still hard. So I think it would be best if you didn't try to console him or anything, just let him work things out on his own, all right?"

Celeste knew that James understood Sirius better than anyone and she agreed to take his advice. James turned back to walk with Lily and Celeste was left to walk alone. Not for long, however.

"Miss Potak, a moment please."

Celeste turned to face her mother. "Yes, Professor?"

"Miss Potak, you will be serving detention with me this evening in my office at nine o'clock," Minerva McGonagall informed her.

Celeste was shocked and bewildered. As far as she knew she had done absolutely nothing to earn a detention, and said so, noticing Sirius glance at her briefly as he passed.

"Exactly," said her mother in an undertone. "You've done absolutely nothing on your Potions essay, and if it takes a detention to get you to study for your Potions exam, so be it!"

Minerva turned on her heel and marched away, leaving her daughter, among other things, embarrassed. A Gryffindor prefect serving two detentions in one week? Passing students were shocked. Celeste was furious, but had to admit it was her fault. She hated Potions with a passion, but ignoring the work obviously wasn't an option, especially if your mother was one of your teachers.


	5. Chapter 5

Celeste entered her mother's office at one minute after nine that night, her anger melting slightly as she caught sight of her mother. The O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams were just a hard on the teachers as they were on the students and Minerva McGonagall was clearly showing the strain. Minerva was forty-eight years old, and while she usually looked much younger, the stressful examination time always gave her dark circles under her eyes and frown lines around her mouth, aging her considerably. Even after seventeen years of teaching she was still unable to handle the stress well.

Upon seeing Celeste enter the room, Minerva rose from behind her desk and smiled apologetically. "Ah, Celeste," she began,"I'm sorry to have summoned you here as I did. It really wasn't necessary to give you a detention in front of all those students; however, I think it very necessary to write your essay under my eye. I realize tomorrow is Sunday, but I highly doubt you would bother to write it then."

Celeste agreed that she would probably have neglected her essay tomorrow as well and forgave her mother for her brief humiliation.

"Well, then" said Minerva. "Lets go back to my rooms and you can do your work there."

Walking over to her fireplace, Minerva took a pinch of powder from a pot on the mantle and threw it into the flames. "McGonagall's chambers," she said clearly, and stepped into the emerald flames, Celeste did the same, careful to keep her bag close to her body as she spun around in the flames. When she had stopped spinning, Celeste took a few unsteady steps and found herself in her mother's small apartment, located in the east wing of the castle, off limits to students, a wing solely for the purposes of the professors.

Her mother had decorated her rooms in crimson and gold, as she was the Gryffindor Head of House. Above her fireplace was the McGonagall family crest and below that, spread out across the mantle were pictures. There were five pictures; each of them featured Celeste in various stages of her life. The first was of a young Minerva McGonagall, black hair cascading down her back, smiling, arms around a tiny baby with a wrinkled face. The second picture showed five year old Celeste, each hand held tight by her parents as she skated on ice for the very first time. The next picture was one Minerva could never look at without a shudder of painful remembrance. Seven-year-old Celeste lay on a bed wrapped in her mother's arms while her father sat on the edge of the bed, running his fingers through his wife's hair. The Celeste in this picture looked frail and lifeless, her small body made weak from a violent illness. The looks on her parent's faces were those of helplessness, Celeste had survived but her health had never been strong since. The last two pictures were not nearly as melancholy, and much more recent. One a picture of Celeste and her father on horseback and the other of Celeste asleep in a hammock, a kitten curled up at her side.

Celeste gazed at these pictures for a few moments while her mother made tea. They then sat down at a small table together and Celeste showed her mother the assignment. The essay was entitled, _Restorative Potions, their origins, uses and the advances made in that field over the past fifty years._ Celeste pulled a thick stack of notes from her bag and laid them on the table in front of her.

"Good Heavens," exclaimed her mother. "Are those your notes?"

"Of course not," answered Celeste. "Those are Severus' notes from last year, he told me to keep them after I kept asking to borrow them."

Minerva marveled that anyone could write so small and yet so legibly while Celeste wondered that anyone could pay so close attention in a class like Potions.

Celeste spent the next two and a half-hours bent over her essay, constantly scratching things out and massaging her wrist. Finally she handed the papers to her mother.

"There," said Celeste. "Edit it and I'll rewrite the stupid thing."

Minerva took the work and for a few moments only the occasional scratch of her quill could be heard. Celeste was just dozing off when her mother returned the papers.

"Add a bit more about the history in that fourth paragraph and take a look at my notes near the bottom," she instructed. "That should do it I think."

Celeste bent over her work again while her mother prepared for bed. After what seemed like ages she wrote out the last line and threw down her quill.

Getting up stiffly from her chair, Celeste stretched her legs and crumpled onto her mother's couch.

Coming out of her bedroom in her nightgown, Minerva stood over Celeste's sleeping form. Minerva McGonagall had achieved many things in her forty-eight years, at Hogwarts she had been an outstanding scholar, she had been sought out for and offered a highly respected teaching job at the school, and had recently been named the Gryffindor Head of House. But none of these achievements could compare with the joy she received from being a mother or the pride she felt as she watched her daughter grow into a mature young woman. Her one fear was of one day losing Celeste; this fear had never been greater than nine years ago as she watched Celeste struggle with a deadly illness. Promising never to let harm come to her daughter, Minerva leaned down and kissed Celeste lightly on the forehead.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Thanks to my new reviewer, Kerichi. I'm glad you are reading the fic, even if you are a little confused at times. I'm sorry if things seem to happen so suddenly; the story is only about 20 chapters long. I chose the name Potak because I needed a Jewish surname and the first one that caught my eye was Potak, the man who wrote The Chosen. Although Celeste is obviously the star of the story, this HP prequel is really all about Severus. you will see much more of him in the upcoming chapters. Thanks for reviewing!_

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Remus woke early Sunday morning and sat in bed waiting for Sirius to wake, thinking. He had decided to tell Sirius how he felt about Celeste. He felt a bit cruel, springing this on his friend only two days after Sirius had been dumped, but it occurred to Remus that even a month from now it would be just as hard, so perhaps today was as good a time as any. James and Sirius were planning to take their brooms out for a ride before breakfast and Remus figured that if Sirius took the news badly, at least he would be able to let out his frustration in the air.

Tired of just sitting and waiting for Sirius to wake up, Remus dressed and went down to wait in the common room. He decided that after his talk with Sirius he would find Celeste, he knew from the Marauder's map that she had spent the night in her mother's chambers, he would try to meet her on her way back. What he would say to her, well Remus wasn't quite sure. He knew he loved her, he should probably tell her that, he just wasn't sure how. Usually Remus could say anything and everything to Celeste, but he wasn't sure confessing his feelings for her would come out the way he would like.

Remus spent almost an hour waiting in the common room, insides tied in tiny knots, before James and Sirius, still yawning, stumbled down the stairs from their dormitory and into the common room.

"Morning, Moony," said James, ruffling his hair although there was no need, it was standing up all over the place.

"Morning, James," said Remus. "Sirius, mind if I have a word with you before you go down to the quidditch pitch?"

Sirius nodded in agreement and sank down onto a couch while James went ahead to get the brooms, leaving the two friends alone in the empty common room.

Remus struggled to find the right words to begin while Sirius dozed on the couch. Finally, he was ready.

"Sirius," he said, "I'm not real sure how to tell you this, but I think you ought to know, I care about Celeste a lot. In fact, I love her."

Sirius, whose head had been lolling on the arm of the couch, jerked wide-awake.

"You what?" he exclaimed, looking at Remus in surprise.

"I love her," said Remus, very seriously. "And I mean to tell her so today. I've cared about her for a long time, when you asked her out I figured that I should just ignore how I felt, maybe she cared for you more than she could care for me. But now, Sirius I don't want to hurt you, that's the last thing I would ever want to do, but I love her and I have to tell her so."

He stopped waiting for Sirius to respond. At first Sirius just sat there, staring at Remus in surprise, then suddenly he grinned.

"Why," he said, almost laughing, "that's great! I mean, you and Celeste, wow. I, well, if she doesn't want me I can't think of anyone else who might deserve her. Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Remus was pleased, though slightly surprised, to see Sirius taking the news so well. He pointed out to Sirius that he hadn't yet told Celeste and that there was no way of knowing if she would be so pleased.

"Who knows," said Remus,"prehaps we'll both be mourning our loss together."

Sirius, however, was convinced that Celeste would be very pleased to know how Remus felt, and he left the common room to join James in a much better mood than he had been in since Friday. Who could have guessed that finding out one of his best friends was in love with his ex would do him so much good? Remus, feeling extremely relieved, sank onto the couch Sirius had just vacated, and instantly fell asleep.

-

At the time Remus was falling asleep on the couch in the common room, Celeste was waking up on the couch in her mother's apartment. Sitting up and spotting her finished Potions essay on the table, Celeste breathed a sigh of relief.

_At least that's finished_, she thought.

"Good morning, Celeste," said Minerva, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. "Are you going to stay for breakfast?"

"Morning," yawned Celeste. "Yes, I think I'll stay."

While her mother summoned up some eggs, bacon, toast, and juice, Celeste told her of her recent split with Sirius. Minerva pursed her lips as she listened, but she agreed with James's advice.

"I think its best to just give him some time," she said, when Celeste had finished. "You see, I believe he cared more for you than you ever cared for him, you, er, have someone else in mind I believe?"

Celeste sighed, how did she know these things? "Well yes," she answered. "I've finally come to realize that I love Remus more than a friend, he always has been a friend, and a good one. I just hope he feels the same way."

Minerva smiled into her coffee cup. She wasn't exactly blind. She had noticed the way Remus Lupin looked at Celeste, if that wasn't love...But she didn't say this to Celeste, no, it was best to let the two of them work things out. Minerva merely wondered how young Sirius Black would take the news.

-

She needn't have worried. Sirius Black was at that moment flying about the quidditch pitch, wind blowing through his long black hair, imagining what the kids of Celeste and Remus would look like, and if one would be named after him.


	7. Chapter 7

Celeste and Minerva took their time over breakfast, discussing, among other things, the O.W.L. exams, which were only a week away. Minerva was confident her daughter would do well, although she fervently hoped Celeste would have the good sense to study extra hard for her Potions exam.

Celeste left her mother's apartments relieved to have finished her essay and glad to have spent some time alone with her mother. The East wing was quite a walk from the Gryffindor common room, but Celeste didn't mind, she was using the time to think of how to approach Remus. She was hoping to meet him alone, she wasn't sure how to act in front of Sirius at the moment and if he were to find out what she had to say to Remus, there could be trouble, and she did not want to cause Sirius any more distress.

As if reading her thoughts, Remus Lupin came up the corridor behind her. He had used the Marauders map to find her and had taken a long route back to the common room after breakfast so as to meet her on the way. He called out to her and she spun around, her face positively glowing to see it was him.

"Oh, hello Remus," she said breathlessly."Have you already had breakfast?"

"Yes," said Remus walking up to her. "I'm sure you already had breakfast with your mom, do you mind if I walk back to the common room with you?"

"Of course not," said Celeste, walking again. "How did you know I ate with mom?"

Remus looked uncomfterable, Celeste didn't know about the map, James and Sirius would kill him if she found out.

"Well," he answered, "you didn't come back from her office last night and you weren't at breakfast so I assumed you spent the night there. Anyway, I'm glad I met up with you, there's something I have to tell you."

Celeste stopped walking and turned to look at him. There had been something in his voice when he said those last words that made her heart pound furiously. Could he possibly...

"Yes?" she prompted, trying to keep her voice level.

As Remus had feared, the words would not come and he was left standing with Celeste in an empty hallway looking like an idiot. He would just have to say something quickly and hope it sounded all right, not easy when his stomach was doing somersaults.

"Celeste," he said looking at her left ear, then her nose, anywhere but into her eyes. "The thing is, well, I, um, I like you, a lot. And, well no actually I love you. I'm sure all this sounds terrible, but I think you're the most wonderful girl in the world and I wish I could tell you just how much you mean to me."

This all came out in a rush, as did the breath Celeste had been holding. She looked at Remus in wonder. He said it sounded terrible, but to Celeste his words were the most romantic thing she'd ever heard.

"Oh, Remus!" she exclaimed, wanting to throw her arms around him, but restraining herself. "I just don't know what to say except that, I love you too."

That was enough for Remus, he suddenly felt as if his feet were rising off the ground.

"But Remus," continued Celeste, "what about Sirius, don't you think he might be rather hurt?"

"No," said Remus. "I told him how I felt about you this morning, he was pleased about it, really pleased."

Her happiness complete, Celeste felt a sudden urge to kiss Remus, he happened to feel exactly the same way. Their lips were barely an inch apart when they heard a loud voice coming from a room close by, Celeste recognized the voice as Peeves. Not wanting to share her first kiss with Remus with the school poltergeist, she pulled away from Remus quickly.

"Perhaps we should get back to the common room," she said hastily, feeling rather irritated with Peeves.

Remus was a bit disappointed, but agreed and they made their way to the common room. They were both silent, but it was a comfterable silence and neither one was very happy to see the portrait of the Fat Lady, knowing they would have to share each other once inside.

Sirius and James were still flying, Peter and Lilly had gone to watch, so not very many people came to bother Celeste and Remus. They had sat across from each other at a small table to play chess, smiling each time their fingers brushed while moving their pieces. Celeste was still waiting for their first kiss, but there was nothing else to spoil her joy. If Sirius was really all right with this, then as far as Celeste was concerned, everything was perfect.

-


	8. Chapter 8

-

Monday morning breakfast was a busy affair as usual, what with students completing last minute homework and trying to swallow a bit of toast at the same time, so Celeste and Remus merely had time to wish each other 'good morning' before hurrying off to their first classes. Celeste went down to the dungeons for her Potions lesson and Remus headed up the marble staircase for Charms.

Remus had told Sirius of how things had went with Celeste while they were getting dressed and Sirius had been pleased to hear that things had worked out so well. James knew nothing of this and Sirius had told Remus that morning that he would be the one to tell James about the new couple, and to assure James that there were no hard feelings to be had.

Sirius was on the verge of telling this to James on the way to Charms when something happened to drive the subject from his mind. Peter had been walking just behind the two boys when he suddenly fell forward into Sirius, knocking him to the ground. Sirius began to tell Peter what a clumsy fool he was when he realized Peter had been tripped. Standing over them with a twisted grin on his face stood Severus Snape.

"Oh dear," he said sardonicly,"little Peter has taken a tumble, lets hope he hasn't wet himself in shame."

"Why you slimy git!" growled Sirius climbing to his feet and pulling out his wand, James pulled his wand out as well.

The three boys faced each other wands out as a curious group of students looked on. Remus pulled Peter to his feet and took a step toward James but Lily got there first.

"James come on," she pleaded, grabbing his arm. "Don't be stupid, he's just baiting you, please don't do this."

Severus laughed as he saw James try to shake her off. "Poor Sirius, he doesn't even have a girlfriend to keep him out of trouble anymore."

Sirius had been irritated and upset with Severus for tripping Peter but now he went livid. The whole school now knew of the split between him and Celeste, there were speculations and rumors as to which boy would have the nerve to ask her out first. Sirius didn't mind so much now that he knew that she and Remus were together, but to have Severus Snape mock him was too much. Sirius gripped his wand and muttered the spell for rapid hair growth, the spell shot directly at Severus's chest but inches away it was deflected, by a very angry Professor McGonagall.

"Now really," she said sharply, putting her wand back into her robes. "I realize you dislike each other but this is getting ridiculous. Twenty points from each house! Now, go to your classes, and be grateful I have a class to teach or you both would be in my office planning detentions."

She stalked away toward her own classroom, the crowd of students dispersed and Severus curled his lip before turning and walking away. Lily made an impatient sound and dragged James into the classroom, Peter followed but Remus stayed behind with Sirius.

"Listen Sirius," he whispered, gripping Sirius' shoulder and forcing him to look him in the face. "He's a git, but he's not worth getting riled over. He just wants you to lose your temper and do something drastic."

Sirius looked at his friend sullenly. "I won't lose my temper," he muttered, turning towards the classroom. "But he'll pay, I swear he will."


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks to my reviewers! This chapter is a bit longer than the last-please tell me what you think.

Kerichi-Sev, James and Sirius take it in turns to dish it out. Thanks for the review.

Monday went by in a sort of blur for Remus. The morning's adventure with Snape was soon forgotten because everytime he passed Celeste in the halls a swooping sensation filled his stomach and every unpleasant thought was wiped away. He couldn't really worry about Sirius' promise for revenge, Sirius would make Severus look foolish and vice versa, Remus didn't believe either one would really do the other any lasting harm. Remus sat next to Celeste during lunch and this put him in such a good mood that he completely forgot what day it was. He was soon reminded by James.

"Hey, Moony," said James, walking beside him on the way to Herbology. "Ready for tonight?"

"Tonight?" Remus echoed, confused.

"Yeah, tonight," said James, "full moon and all that, you haven't forgotten have you?"

Remus' heart sank. He had been so caught up in his new found happiness that he had forgotten that he would be turning into a werewolf that evening.

"I, uh, guess I've just been to busy to think about it," he mumbled.

James looked at his friend closely. "Yeah, Sirius told me about Celeste. Congratulations mate, listen we'll be waiting outside under the cloak. We'll join you in the shack about midnight, sound okay?"

Now it just so happened the Gryffindor sixth years took Herbology with the Slytherins. And it just so happened that as James was talking over the evening's plans with Remus, Severus Snape was walking behind them, caught in a group of chattering Slytherins. He missed some of their conversation, but he caught the part about outside at midnight. Severus was silent during Herbology, making a few evening plans of his own.

-

Celeste made it through Potions without fainting or burning a cauldron. She was in a very good mood and surprised everyone by wishing Professor Brewster a 'good morning' as the class departed. The rest of the day went well too, she spotted Severus and waved but he ignored her, he did however pinch her on the arm as they entered the Great Hall for lunch, which made her laugh aloud. He would never, ever admit to anyone that they were friends, but Celeste respected his secrecy, she would be very sorry indeed to lose his friendship.

After her last class, Celeste joined a small group of students in the library to study for the fast approaching O.W.L.s, then rushed back to Gryffindor tower.

She was hoping to find Remus there, she thought perhaps they could take a walk around the grounds, alone. Arriving in the common room she spotted him, sitting on a couch assisting Peter with some homework.

"Hello, Remus," said Celeste, siting down next to him on the couch.

Remus turned quickly at the sound of her voice and smiled. "Oh, hello Celeste. Finished with your study group?"

She nodded. "Yes. Remus do you think we could go for a walk later tonight. I mean, it's going to be so beautiful, there's a full moon tonight, I, um, I thought it would be romantic." She blushed as she said this, looking down at her lap she didn't notice that Remus had gone very pale.

"Uh, well actually Celeste I have a, uh, tutoring session tonight," he said, thinking quickly. He would like nothing better than a moonlit stroll with her, but he didn't think she would find anything romantic about tonight. "Why don't we go for a walk tomorrow night?"

"Oh, all right then," Celeste said, standing up and not meeting his eye. "I think I'll go to bed early then, goodnight."

She walked stiffly up the girl's staircase, leaving Remus feeling miserable.

"Remus," said Peter, who had heard every word of the conversation because neither one had noticed he was still sitting there. "Why don't you just tell her the truth, I mean she's not really afraid of anything is she?"

Remus sighed and looked over at Peter in disgust. "She may not be afraid of spiders or heights, but do you really think she would be pleased to hear her boyfriend is the kind of monster she learned about in her third year? I'm going to go lay down for awhile, see you tonight."

He stood up from the couch and made his way to the boy's staircase, leaving Peter with his Transfiguration essay incomplete because Remus still hadn't answered his questions on the subject.

-

Remus left the common room later that evening, no one left in the room questioned him, he was after all a prefect. James, Sirius, and Peter were already outside under James's invisibility cloak. When they joined the werewolf in his hideout, the Shrieking Shack, they would have transformed into animagi, James a stag, Sirius a dog, Peter a rat. The three had become animagi to make Remus's transformations bearable; as animals, they were safe from his bite.

Remus made his way across the Hogwarts grounds to the Whomping Willow, in his first few years at Hogwarts the nurse had accompanied him, but she trusted him now to get to the tree on his own. Taking a long stick from the ground, Remus poked a knot at the base of the Whomping Willow and crawled into the hole that appeared. Remus dropped down into the tunnel, he didn't bother to light his wand, he knew this tunnel by heart.

James and the others watched him walk across the grounds and disappear from view, a few yards away, Severus Snape watched too. Not seeing the other boys because of the cloak, Severus set out across the grounds, curious as to where Remus Lupin might be going. Sirius was the first to notice the lone figure walking out across the grounds.

"Hey, who do you reckon that is?" He asked, pointing to Severus.

James squinted his eyes and swore. "It's Snivellus, what is he doing out here? I bet he's seen Remus, now we can't follow."

Sirius bit his lip, deep in thought. "Let's walk out there anyway, he'll leave soon and we can get in."

James wasn't sure they could get into the Willow without Snape noticing but he wasn't going to argue with Sirius. So the three boys set out across the lawn which was now bathed in moonlight. Snape was standing just out of reach of the Whomping Willow's lethal branches, considering. Without a warning to James or Peter, Sirius stepped out of the invisibility cloak and addressed Snape.

"Evening, Snivellus," he said calmly, keeping a hand tight around his wand.

Severus spun around quickly, at the sight of Sirius he pulled out his own wand.

"What do you want?" he snarled, he looked around for James and Peter, not seeing them he assumed Sirius was alone. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just out for a stroll, actually I was going to join Remus. You may have noticed he disappeared inside the Willow here, if you'd kindly go away I'll follow him." While Sirius spoke he kept his wand inside his robes, if things went as planned he might indure some brief discomfort, but Severus would come off far worse.

"No, I don't think I want to leave just yet," said Severus, pointing his wand at Sirius's chest. "I'm rather interested in what Remus Lupin is doing out of bounds at this hour, so why don't you tell me how to get past this tree, or then again I could always curse you."

Sirius brought his wand out from his robes, as he had hoped, Severus disarmed him immediately. Wandless, Sirius put on a worried expression.

"All right, I'll tell you," he said, trying to sound panicked. Take that long stick there and poke that large knot on the tree."

Severus sneered then lowered his wand briefly before raising it again and shooting a stunning spell at Sirius that knocked him flat. Moving quickly, Severus grabbed the large stick and prodded the knot Sirius had indicated then slipped into the hole. He hadn't really expected this to work, but stunning Sirius had been fun anyway.

James and Peter had remained silent during all of this, but once Severus had disappeared from sight they threw off the cloak. James had realized at once what Sirius had been up to and he issued orders to Peter quickly.

"Peter," James said sharply, after first checking Sirius's pulse. "Prod the knot so I can get Snape out, then, stay with Sirius until I get back."

Peter transformed into a rat and quickly scuttled over to the Whomping Willow and held the knot until James had passed through. Human again, Peter stood guard over Sirius, squeaking in fright.

Once inside the tunnel, James began to run. Severus had a headstart, and much as James hated the other boy, he didn't want to think what would happen if he reached Remus. The moon was out and Remus would have no control over his actions as a werewolf.

James ran for what felt like ages, then he could see a light up ahead, Severus' wand. But James could also feel cool air from up ahead, and that meant they were close to the Shrieking Shack. James rounded a final corner and pounded up some steps, at the top of the steps stood Severus, staring transfixed through the open doorway in front of him.

Gasping for breath James grabbed Severus by the arm. "Come on you fool," James said breathlessly, "lets get out of here."

Snape wasn't listening; he was looking into the Shrieking Shack at the opposite wall. The werewolf sat there against the wall, growling at the intruders. As Severus and James stood in the doorway, the wolf stood up and gave a chilling howl. The next moment he was pounding across the room, straight for the two boys. Severus was frozen; unable to move or defend himself from the monster that was headed right for him. James, however, stepped in front of Severus and raised his wand. A bright flash erupted from the wand and the werewolf was thrown back against the wall.

Grabbing Severus by the arm, James ran back through the tunnel.

Both boys ran full out until they reached the Whomping Willow and rolled out onto the grass. Panting, Severus stood up to face Sirius, who had come around while they were gone.

"You bd's," he said softly, glaring around at the three others. "That thing could have killed me, you'll wish it had. Because the whole school will know, I'll make sure of that. And I'll make sure each of you is expelled for what you tried tonight."

"We shall see about that, Mr. Snape," said a calm voice that made all four boys jump. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was standing right behind Severus. "Now, I would like to see you all in my office."


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for the feedback!!!

-

Remus woke Tuesday morning, feeling as if he'd been beaten all over.

No wonder, he thought grumpily, as he pulled himself of the floor. Why he never curled up on the ancient four poster to sleep was beyond him.

Remus stretched and groaned as he looked around the bedroom of the Shrieking Shack. He wished James and the others had been able to spend the night, the Shack was, if possible, creepier in the daylight. It wasn't until he felt the bite marks on his arm that Remus realized James, Sirius, and Peter had not been there at all. Rolling up his sleeves, Remus saw that he had bit and stratched himself because his friends had not come to keep him company.

This Remus could not understand. James had had everything planned yesterday morning, unless something big had happened at the castle to prevent their coming. Remus ran a hand across a very nasty purple bruise that had appeared on his chest, wondering how he could have given himself such a bruise and then everything came rushing back.

James had been there last night; he had given Remus the bruise. But someone else had been there too. Remus sank onto the musty bed and put his face in his hands. Severus Snape had been there, and he had seen Remus, he knew the truth.

Feeling sick, Remus stood up and ran through the Shrieking Shack and down to the tunnel. He slowed down half way through the tunnel, holding a stitch in his side. When he reached the Whomping Willow he fumbled a moment for a stick to keep the Willow's branches from taking his head off. But to his surprise the tree remained frozen, poking his head out of the hole in the tree's roots he saw why. Someone on the outside was holding a long branch on the root. A tall someone with a long silver beard, Albus Dumbledore was waiting for Remus.

"Good morning, Remus," he said softly, "if you'd care to take a walk around the grounds, there is something I need to discuss with you."

Feeling even worse than he had before, Remus pulled himself from the tree and followed Dumbledore away from the tree. They walked silently for a few moments until Remus felt he should speak.

"Professor," he began, "I know that last night, Severus Snape came to the Shrieking Shack, he saw me. I don't know how he found the way..."

He paused, he didn't know for sure how Snape had gotten past the Whomping Willow, but he had a nagging suspicion that it had something do with Sirius. Dumbledore seemed to understand what his pause meant.

"Mr. Snape did indeed see you in the Shrieking Shack last night. It seems Mr. Black told him how he might get past the Whomping Willow, but did not tell him what he would find at the other end. Mr. Snape is very angry at what he saw to be an attempt on his life, but he has promised not to tell anyone what he knows. Mr. Potter and Mr. Pettigrew were also on the grounds last night, no doubt to see you off, all four were in my office last night and everything has been settled."

Remus wasn't sure what Dumbledore meant by 'settled'. "Professor," said Remus, looking up at the Headmaster. "Sirius hasn't been expelled, has he? I mean he and Snape are always at each other, but you don't think he really meant to hurt him do you?"

Remus didn't believe his friend was capable of murder, but he knew that if Sirius had been given an opportunity to injure or humiliate Snape in some way, he would.

"None of the young men have been expelled, although each has lost House points for being out of bounds at such a late hour," said Dumbledore, now turning to face Remus. "I have spoken at length to Mr. Black, however. As I have said before, Mr. Snape is very angry, I think it best if you would try and persuade your friends to avoid confrontation with him for the time being. Good day, Remus."

Dumbledore took his leave of Remus and headed back to the castle. Remus remained where he was. As always, he was excused from all classes before lunch on the days after his transformation, his friends didn't expect him until lunch. Remus decided to spend his free time walking around the lake, he needed time to think, and rest, after last night's nightmare. He sighed, he would have given anything to have spent last night out on the grounds with Celeste, instead of holed up in the Shrieking Shack, alone.

-

For those at the Gryffindor table, breakfast was not a pleasant affair. Peter knocked over the sugar bowl when wished good morning, Sirius growled at anyone who approached, and Lilly became angry with James for not speaking to her. Celeste had been up early and had finished eating before the others arrived. She was surprised to see that Remus was not with them, but got no answer when she asked James where he was. It was a relief for all when breakfast was over and everyone became busy, hurrying away so as not to be late for their first class.

Remus made his appearance at lunch, brushing away Celeste's inquiries by saying he had felt ill this morning and had slept in. This was partly true, he had felt ill this morning, in fact he still didn't feel very good, it was an effort not to throw up all over the table. He did manage to kiss Celeste lightly on the cheek, which made her feel better; at least she stopped asking questions.

"Remus," she said, pushing her hair away from her face. "I'm sorry if I seemed rude or anything last night. Why don't we just spend some time together after classes, all right?"

Remus nodded and watched as she disappeared out of the Great Hall, on her way to Arithmancy.

-

Celeste felt better after speaking to Remus during lunch, ever since she had walked away from him last night she had regretted how childishly she had behaved. She really just wanted to spend some time with him, if only because she felt truly herself when he was near. The upcoming O.W.L.s were telling on her nerves and she needed Remus to bring her back to earth.

Between classes, Remus had agreed to meet Celeste in the courtyard. After dropping her bag in the common room, Celeste hurried down to wait. She was early, but only by a few moments. Sitting on a bench in an empty corner of the courtyard sat Severus; Celeste caught sight of her friend and ran to join him.

"Hello, Sev," she said brightly, sitting down next to him on the bench.

Severus turned his head at the sound of her voice and looked at her a moment, but said nothing.

"Oh, don't get upset," she said, nudging him playfully. "Nobody can see us over here. It's not like I want Remus to get jealous or anything."

Severus looked down at the ground and said nothing.

"Severus," said Celeste, suddenly worried. "Is something wrong? Talk to me, has something happened?"

Severus took a deep breath and spoke in a harsh voice, looking straight ahead. "Do me a favor Celeste and go away."

"Come on Severus, you can tell me anything. What's wrong?"

"Just go away, Celeste."

She didn't move, Severus stood up and turned to look at her.

"Get the hll away from me," he said, "stupid half-breed!"

Celeste stood up feeling shocked. She had once gone after Severus for calling Lilly a mudblood, but she had never dreamed he would go after her own parentage, and for what reason, she didn't know.

"What has gotten into you, Severus," she shrieked, "how dare you speak to me like that!"

"I'll speak to you anyway I please," he snarled. "Now get away from me."

Shaking with fury, Celeste raised her hand back and slapped him hard across the face before turning and storming into the castle.

Once inside the castle, her fury subsided and Celeste fought to hold back tears. Rushing into the empty music room, she collapsed onto a piano bench and sobbed.

-

Remus waited in the courtyard for a few minutes, waiting for Celeste. When she didn't come he made his way up to Gryffindor tower. Lilly said Celeste had left earlier to wait for Remus and hadn't been back up. Feeling a bit concerned, Remus ran up to the boy's dormitory and fumbled in James's trunk until he found the Marauder's Map. Tapping it with his wand he scanned it until he located the dot marked 'Celestina Potak' residing in the first floor music room. Wiping the map blank he shoved it back in the trunk and headed down to meet Celeste.

When he reached the music room he could hear the sound of a piano, pulling open the door he saw Celeste. She was sitting at the piano, playing, her hair had been pulled up but was coming undone from its hasty knot. Remus thought she looked lovely. He listened to her play for a few moments, then sat down next to her on the bench when she stopped. Sitting next to her he could see she had been crying.

"Celeste,"Remus said in alarm, "What's happened?"

She turned to look at him and smiled sadly. "You won't believe this, but I just had a fight with an old friend."

"Well that's all right, friends fight all the time."

Celeste shook her head and sniffed. "No, I mean, you won't believe that I had a fight with my old friend, Severus Snape."

Remus took a moment to absorb what these words meant.

"You mean, you've been friends with Snape...what exactly did you fight about?" He asked this, dreading the answer.

"Oh, I don't know what it was about. He just told me to get the hll away and called me a half-breed, and then I slapped him."

Celeste wiped tears from her eyes while Remus ran his fingers through her hair, for a while neither spoke. Remus started to speak, but found there was nothing to say, instead he moved his face towards hers, their lips met and held each other for a long time. When they finally broke apart, Celeste sighed deeply and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I love you Remus," she whispered.

Remus sat silently, a million thoughts running through his mind. He loved Celeste and wanted to tell her what he truly was, she said she loved him, but was her love strong enough to overlook the beast that lay inside him? And now she had told him that the one person who hated him most at the moment was a dear friend. How could he comfort Celeste when he was the reason Severus had turned from her?

While these tormenting thoughts rushed through his mind, Remus took Celeste's hand in his and kissed her fingertips softly. Finally he spoke.

"Celeste, I love you, I have for a long time, but I know now just how much. I don't ever want to lose you."

"Lose me," Celeste repeated, sitting upright. "How could you lose me? I'm not going anywhere and don't even think about trying to drive me away. I'll love you forever, no matter what."

Again Remus felt the urge to tell her he was a werewolf, but he was still afraid her love was not quite as strong as she claimed. Despite his uneasiness, however, he was the happiest he had ever been in his life.


	11. Chapter 11

I am too good to you really-posting such an important chapter so quickly...feedback would be lovely.

It was now two days since Severus and Celeste had fought, Celeste was very troubled by what had occurred, but was unable to find time to speak to Severus. They had never fought like this before and though upset at being called a half-breed; Celeste was horrified that she had slapped him. Remus had told her that Severus and Sirius had fought, this was not unusual but Celeste did not understand why Severus would turn on her in such a way just because of that.

After dwelling on these unhappy thoughts for two days, Celeste decided to seek Severus out, apologize, and perhaps receive an apology in return. On this last point she wasn't too sure, but at present, even getting Severus to look at her would be an improvement.

It was a Thursday, which meant that her chances of seeing Severus alone were few. At mealtimes he was surrounded by Slytherins and because they were a year apart, there was never a chance of meeting in the same class. The only possibility was during the Slytherin's extended break period, which was during the last half of Celeste's Charms lesson. Celeste decided that would be the time to speak to him.

Charms being Celeste's best subject, she usualy finished her assignments ahead of the others. Today they were reviewing former lessons to prepare for their O.W.L. exams. Celeste finished her review and put her parchment, quill, and wand back into her bag, before walking up to the teacher's desk at front of the class, fifteen minutes before class was over.

"Professor Flitwick," she began, "since I've finished with my review on growth charms already, do you think I could leave class a bit early? I'd like a little extra time to prepare for my double Potions lesson."

Tiny Professor Flitwick smiled cheerfully at Celeste from where he stood atop a large pile of books behind his desk. He and Minerva McGonagall had always been good friends, and he held a certain fondness for Celeste, rather like an uncle might be fond of a favorite niece. The fact that she had a penchant for Charms pleased him very much and he was quite willing to give her a bit of free time. Potions, he knew, was not her best subject and the better her frame of mind before hand, the better she would handle the double period in the dark and smelly dungeons.

And so with Flitwick's blessing, Celeste left the Charms classroom, once the door had closed behind her she began to run. She flew through hallways and down staircases, slowing only when she reached her mother's classroom, it would not do to be caught by her. As she passed the classroom door, she could hear her mother's stern tones from inside.

"Mr. Pettigrew, this is absolutely ridiculous, even from you. Turning the footstool into a rat instead of a flamingo? You will please spend rest of this lesson beside Mr. Potter. Perhaps _he_ might be able to teach you something about transfiguration!"

Resisting the urge to peek through the door for a glimpse of Remus, Celeste sped on, finally reaching window that looked out over the courtyard. There were the Slytherins, a few had books open in front of them, but most were gathered into groups, talking and laughing. Celeste didn't bother to search the groups; a few moments later she spotted Severus in a far corner of the courtyard, immersed in the book in front of him. Celeste left the window and descended a final flight of stairs, coming out of a doorway directly behind where Severus was sitting.

"Severus," she whispered urgently, not wanting to be noticed by any of the other Slytherins.

Severus turned toward her voice and scowled. "What do you want?" he hissed.

"I need to speak with you now," she pleaded, "please?"

Severus considered a moment, then shoved his book into his bag and followed her into the castle. Relieved, Celeste led the way into an unused classroom on the way to the dungeons. When the door had closed behind him, Severus spoke.

"All right, Celeste," he said, seating himself on a desk. "What is it you want?"

Celeste took a deep breath. "I want to apologize for slapping you. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that, I'm sorry," she paused, Severus didn't say anything so she went on. "I know that you and Sirius had a fight the other day and I know I promised you I wouldn't interfere with your vendetta against him and James, but..."

"Hold on," Severus interrupted, "who told you I had a fight with Black?"

"Remus," said Celeste, "he saw how upset I was after I slapped you and I told him about how you and I are friends and then he told me that you and Sirius had fought."

"I see, did he bother to give you the details of our little 'fight'?" Severus sneered. "Looks like your latest boyfriend has been keeping a few secrets from you Cice. And so early in your relationship too, pity."

Celeste reddened. "How dare you talk about Remus that way, he would never keep anything of importance from me. You may not like his friends, but you don't know anything about him. If you truly cared about me you'd give him a chance."

"I do care about you, Celeste," Severus said, starting to shake with fury. "And I know more about Remus Lupin than you might think. You think I'm biased against him because of James and Sirius, but I'll have you know all three made an attempt on my life Monday night, I could have died because..."

"Stop it, Severus," Celeste shrieked, "you're just sore because you've been made to look foolish time and time again! James and Sirius might try to hurt you but Remus would never..."

"You are so blinded by your love for him you can't see what's right in front of you," Severus yelled, "he's a werewolf, Celeste!"

In the hallway outside, students could be heard laughing and calling to one another as they changed classes, but inside the unused classroom, there was silence. Severus was taking deep calming breaths, while mentally kicking himself for breaking his promise to Dumbledore. Celeste on the other hand was finding it hard to breathe at all. Severus' words had hit her like a tidal wave.

It was a lie, Remus couldn't possibly be a werewolf. But even as she told herself this Celeste knew what Severus had said was true. All the stories and excuses Remus had ever given for his absences suddenly seemed silly and full of holes. All the times he had seemed so ill, the scratch marks, why hadn't she ever questioned these things more?

What hit her hardest was the fact that Remus had never confided in her. True, they had only been dating a few days, but they had been close friends for almost two years, surely he could have told her. Did he think he couldn't trust her with such a powerful secret? Or did he think her love wasn't strong enough to withstand such a shock? This thought she tried to ignore.

Struggling to regain her breath and fight back tears at the same time; she turned to face Severus.

"When did you find out that he was, a werewolf?" she asked hesitantly.

"Monday night," he said softly. He then explained how Sirius had told him how to get past the Whomping Willow and what he had found at the other end.

When he had finished, Celeste spoke. "I still don't believe Remus was in on the trick, he may be a werewolf, but he's not a monster."

"How can you be sure of that, Celeste," Severus said impatiently. "He's lied to you over and over again, how am I supposed to stand back and watch the two of you together when I know what he truly is?"

"The same way I've had to stand back and watch my friends curse and jinx each other all these years at Hogwarts," said Celeste shortly.

"Well I'm sorry Cice," said Severus, hotly. "But I can't do that, you'll have to decide..."

"What!" Celeste said in disbelief, "you would force me to _choose_? To pick between the two people I love most in this world? Severus, how can you!"

Severus sat in stony silence. The rumble of students had faded, classes were starting. Celeste grabbed her bag and left the room in shock, Severus stayed where he was.

-

Needless to say, Potions was a disaster. Celeste's poor frame of mind coupled with her usual abhorrence for the subject earned her Restorative draught a zero and cost her house twenty points for the waste of rare potion ingredients.

Celeste skipped dinner and avoided everyone in the common room that night. She went to bed early, but it was long past midnight before sleep came to calm her troubled mind.


	12. Chapter 12

-

Celeste woke the next morning to find an empty dormitory. Looking at her clock she realized class would be starting in five minutes. Groaning, Celeste threw off her covers and jumped out of bed. She pulled off her pajamas and slipped into her clothes, buttoning her robes with one hand while brushing her hair with the other. Her head was pounding and she felt a little dizzy, but she ignored this as she grabbed her bag and flew down the stairs and out of the common room.

She ran through the castle and stopped in front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom ten minutes after the start of class. Breathing deeply to catch her breath, Celeste pulled the door open. She tried to slip in without being noticed, but Professor Spriggin caught sight of her as she headed for an empty desk.

"Miss Potak," he called out sharply in his nasal voice. "Coming in late to class is unacceptable, I would have expected better from you. We are doing a review so that you will be ready for the O.W.L.s, your lateness has proved a distraction for the entire class, ten points from Gryffindor."

The entire class was turned to look at her; Celeste gave an apology to Professor Spriggin and sank into a chair. She accepted the quiz paper that was passed to her and scribbled her answers quickly. Her head was continuing to pound and she found it difficult to attend to what the professor was saying. Soon she ignored him completely and focused her whole attention on the matter that had kept her awake the night before.

Severus wanted her to choose between their friendship and a relationship with Remus. This was a horrible decision to be forced to make and Celeste knew Severus was stubborn enough that no matter how she tried to reason with him he would not back down. There was also the matter of Remus being a werewolf. Celeste had never been very frightened by the stories her Uncle had told her of the hairy monsters, so she wasn't mortified to know that her boyfriend wasn't quite human. What truly hurt was that he had never told her. There had been plenty of opportunities for him to confess his secret, why hadn't he? And what about her mother? She knew, the whole staff would have to know, why hadn't she told Celeste when she first heard that they were dating?

These thoughts haunted Celeste throughout her Defense lesson; Professor Spriggin reprimanded her twice for not paying attention during class. Spiteful old man, Celeste thought. He just doesn't like me because he doesn't like the fact that my mom is a better teacher than he could ever be.

After class, a few students wanted to know why she was late, she told them she had slept in. Celeste couldn't blame the four girls that shared her dormitory, she usually was eating breakfast by the time they woke up, they had seen the curtains closed around her bed and thought she was already gone. No one asked why she had slept late or why she looked as if she hadn't slept at all. Celeste tried to forget as they headed outside for a double session of Care of Magical Creatures with the Ravenclaws.

Her first class had been bad, but this one was worse. The students were charged with milking Slocks, ugly animals that looked like a cross between a goat and a cow but were really a cross between a Re'em and a Mooncalf. They were extremely gentle creatures that only gave milk the week following a full moon. The slock Celeste was supposed to be milking objected to the process and began shuffling about while Celeste was trying to keep hold of the animal's udders. Celeste lost patience with the creature and gave it a sharp slap on the rump. This cost Gryffindor another ten points.

Celeste's classmates began to worry about her behavior. Normally Celeste got on well with all the Professors, was gentle with the magical creatures and would never stomp away from a class. Which was just what she did.

After Professor Kettleburn had taken the points away from her house, Celeste felt like screaming. Her boyfriend had lied to her, her best friend wanted her to make an impossible decision, and now her Professors thought she was an irresponsible student. Only halfway through her Care of Magical Creatures lesson, Celeste grabbed her bag and marched back up the lawn and into the castle.

Once inside the castle, Celeste shoved her bag behind a statue and broke into a run. Celeste had been born two months early, barely survived a terrible illness at the age of seven and always took a while to recover after a cold, but she could run better, faster and longer than anyone at Hogwarts. She often ran just for the sheer joy of speed and the wind in her face, but today she ran because it was the only thing she could do. She ran because, while running, it was impossible to think about Remus, Severus, or even her Professors.

She ran silently through the castle, not realizing where her legs had taken her until an unpleasantly familiar voice called out sharply from the open doorway she had just passed.

"Celestina!" Celeste stopped quickly, overbalanced, and fell backwards, landing at her mother's feet.

"Get up and come in here at once," an order. Celeste climbed to her feet and clutched a stitch in her side as she followed her mother into her office.

It was a fairly large office, two windows looked out over the Forbidden Forest, one wall was covered with fully stocked bookshelves, and a crest bearing the Gryffindor lion hung over the mantelpiece.

Celeste seated herself at the large mahogany desk and waited for her mother to deliver a lecture on running in the castle. Minerva McGonagall sat behind her desk, but didn't speak. In the silence Celeste's mind began to wander towards her problems with Severus, but the sound of her mother's sigh brought her back to her current predicament.

"Celeste," Minerva began. "I realize the O.W.L.s are coming up and that this is a very stressful time, but your behavior recently concerns me. I tried to find you in the common room last night but Lily told me you had already gone to bed, she told me you seemed distant, and that you had skipped dinner. Celeste, what is going on? Have you, er, had a fight with Remus?"

"Not yet," Celeste mumbled.

Minerva raised her eyebrows. "Not yet? What is that supposed to mean? Cice, _what is_ _going on_?"

"Mom," Celeste began, taking a deep breath. "I know that Remus is a werewolf. I'm obviously not supposed to know that, but Severus and I were fighting and he let it slip. He also told me how Sirius and James tried to kill him and he thinks that Remus was in on it too, and so now he's mad and he wants me to choose between him and Remus and I just..."

Minerva held up a hand to silence Celeste, who had started speaking hesitantly but had sped up as she rushed to tell her mother everything.

"Does Remus know you've been told?" Minerva asked softly.

Celeste looked away, tears springing to her eyes. "No," she answered, "I, I haven't confronted him yet, I'm not sure what to say. Oh, mom, why didn't he tell me himself? Doesn't he trust me? Or does he think I wouldn't love him if I knew the truth? I just don't understand!"

Burying her face in her arms, Celeste burst into tears. Minerva walked around her desk and sat upon it before gently pulling her daughter's head into her lap.

"Best Beloved," Minerva said gently, as she ran her fingers through Celeste's dark brown hair. "I don't know why Remus hasn't told you the truth. Perhaps he was worried you would despise or even fear him for what he is. Tell me, do you feel any differently towards him, now that you know the truth?"

Celeste raised her tearstained face and thought a moment. "No," she said finally. "But I feel terrible that I had no suspicions. I mean, all those disappearances, I never questioned them."

Minerva sighed. "Yes, well, Albus has taken quite a few precautions to make sure no one discovers where Remus goes or why. I suppose Severus told you about the Whomping Willow and the Shrieking Shack?"

Celeste nodded. For a time both were silent, then Minerva spoke:

"Well, I do hope you and Remus can work things out. But Cice, when you confront him please remember, the life of a werewolf is not easy, there is such a strong prejudice against them in our society. No doubt he thinks you would feel the same way."

"But, mom," Celeste protested, "I would never be prejudiced against someone just because they were a werewolf. Just because he's a werewolf doesn't make him a monster."

"No it doesn't," Minerva agreed, smiling sadly. "But many people will not believe this. I believe young Severus may be against him, although for more reasons than one."

"Yes," Celeste said heavily, "Severus hates him. He thinks Remus tried to kill him. Mom how can I choose between them? I know Remus didn't want to hurt Severus, but Severus is just too stubborn to believe this. Severus and I have been so close for so long, now it's as if we've grown apart."

Minerva spoke, choosing her words carefully. "Celeste, I don't know that you and Severus can ever be as close as you once were, you're right, the two of you have grown apart. And the truth is, Severus has already made the choice for you.'

She looked down at Celeste sadly, 'Perhaps one day he'll see things differently."

Celeste was saddened to admit her mother was right, her friendship with Severus was drawing to an end.

-


	13. Chapter 13

Talking with her mother did wonders for Celeste's disposition. Although she had missed the last half of her Care of Magical Creatures lesson and lunch, by the time Celeste had left her mother's office and retrieved her bag she was only three minutes late for Herbology. Indeed her focus was so much better that Celeste was able to answer some rather difficult questions from young Professor Sprout, earning Gryffindor ten points.

Her heart sunk a little as she passed a group of Slytherins on the grounds after class, Severus among them. They had not spoken since their fight, Celeste wasn't sure there was anything left to say.

The rest of the afternoon was open for students to study for their upcoming exams. Celeste didn't bother to study today, she had not eaten since lunch the day before and she was staring to feel faint. After dropping her bag off in her dormitory and changing out of her robes, Celeste left Gryffindor tower and headed towards the kitchens.

Not everyone knew where the Hogwarts kitchens were located; James Potter and his gang had discovered them in their first year and often gathered food for late night parties. But Celeste had known since before her first year at Hogwarts. Minerva McGonagall had started teaching at Hogwarts the year Celeste was born, and although she stayed home during the summer holidays, there were times she needed to be at the school during break. During these times, Celeste would come with her mother and with a few friendly ghosts as her guides and guards, made herself familiar with the castle. Now that she spent the summers with her father and Minerva stayed at Hogwarts, Celeste had given up wandering the castle, except of course when she skipped three straight meals.

The entrance to the kitchens was behind a large painting of a bowl of fruit; Celeste tickled the pear and slipped through the resulting door. Once inside she was accosted by a crowd of squeaking house elves, all anxious to prepare her something to eat. She had just requested two bacon and cucumber sandwiches, a jug of pumpkin juice, and some strawberries, when the door to the kitchens was opened again to reveal two people Celeste wasn't too keen to see at the moment.

Once James Potter and Sirius Black had gotten past the first barrier of elves, they noticed Celeste standing by the fireplace, waiting for her food. James gave a small wave and continued with his food list, Sirius however, came to join Celeste.

"Hey, you," he said, flopping down in an armchair and stretching his long legs out in front of him. "What's up with you lately? Remus said you didn't even answer him when he spoke to you last night, and rumor has it you walked out on Kettleburn."

His tone was casual, almost careless. Stretched out in the chair he seemed about to fall asleep.

"I'm fine now," Celeste answered, "I've just had a lousy few days, Remus isn't angry is he?" She added anxiously.

"Remus, angry? No, he's just a bit worried about you. You know," Sirius said suddenly, sitting up in his chair,"I think he's really got it for you, he's crazy about you like James is for Lily. Only Remus isn't fool enough to get all idiotic and moony when you walk by." Sirius shot a disgusted look at James. "Yeah, I'd say he's really in love with you."

Celeste was pleased to hear this, especially coming from Sirius. She was glad to see he wasn't the least bit bitter about their break-up. Strangely enough, Celeste was reminded of her parents, who got along better now than they ever had when they were married.

Celeste wondered if she should be angry with Sirius for what he had tried to do to Severus, but she decided it wouldn't do any good. If they chose to fight each other, so be it. It was their concern, not hers.

James joined them at the fireplace and immediately began talking about Quiddich, and what teams he thought had the best chance of making it to the World Cup. Sirius and Celeste's eyes began to glaze over as he talked, it was a relief when two house elves scurried over with Celeste's food and she was able to make her escape.

Once in the hallway, Celeste started up to her mother's office, knowing Minerva would be in a staff meeting. More than anything, Celeste wanted to be alone, she needed time to decide how to first approach Remus.

But when she opened the door to Minerva's office, Remus was already there.

-

Dun, dun, dun!


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry for the wait-I'll try to make the updates quicker.

Celeste stood in the doorway of her mother's office a moment, unsure what to do. Finally, she spoke. "Hello, Remus," she said, hesitantly.

He spun around at the sound of her voice and walked quickly to her side.

"Celeste," he said, looking down at her, concern etched into his handsome features. "Are you all right? You've barely looked at me since yesterday, from what I've heard about you're day today I can't help but feel there's something terribly wrong."

Celeste sighed deeply. "I need to speak with you, right now I suppose."

She closed the door and laid her food on top of her mother's desk. Remus seated himself in the same chair Celeste had sat in earlier and waited for her to speak. Celeste picked up a sandwich and considered it before laying it down again and looking Remus in the eye.

"Remus," she began. "This isn't exactly easy for me to say, first, I'm truly sorry I didn't realize the truth myself."

She paused briefly, but Remus thought he knew what she was going to say. He had feared this was the reason she had been avoiding him. His throat constricted, she was going to tell him he was a monster and ask that he stay away from her from now on. He wasn't expecting what she said next.

"I understand the prejudice you face being a werewolf," she said softly, "but you shouldn't expect to receive that from everyone, especially from me."

Mistaking the surprised look on Remus' face for one of doubt, she hurried to reassure him.

"Oh, Remus I do understand," she said earnestly, "I have to face all sorts of insults because I'm a half-blood, and do you know my dad's family has rejected the both of us because my mom's not a Jew? Remus believe me, I love you and the fact that you're a werewolf means nothing to me."

Once Remus had recovered from the shock of finding out she didn't loathe him; he jumped to his feet.

"Are you sure?" he asked, feeling dazed. "You aren't afraid of me or anything?"

"No," Celeste said, shaking her head firmly. "But I wish you had told me before."

Remus pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. "I was so afraid you'd hate me and I didn't want to lose you. I'm sorry."

He pulled away slightly and looked down at her face. "I love you," he whispered and kissed her on the lips, lightly at first, then passionately.

Arms wrapped around one another and lips locked together they didn't hear the opening of the door or the exclamation of annoyance from Minerva McGonagall. Rolling her eyes, Minerva kicked the door shut behind her, finally catching the young couple's attention. They broke apart quickly, Remus blushing furiously.

Oh, hello mom," Celeste said breathlessly. She didn't seem remotely embarrassed.

Ignoring her daughter, Minerva seated herself behind her desk. Pointing at the sandwiches, she asked, "Mind if I have one?"

"Not at all," Celeste replied, sinking down in a chair and grabbing the remaining sandwich. "I'm starving!"

Minerva's mouth twitched as she fought to keep a straight face. "Hungry work?" she asked, trying and failing to keep the laughter out of her voice.

Remus blushed harder than ever but Celeste was too busy eating to take any notice. Remus sat down on the edge of a chair feeling awkward. Minerva offered him some pumpkin juice but he declined. After a moment he stood up.

"Well," he said, "I'd, uh, better go."

"See you at dinner then," said Celeste cheerfully.

After saying goodbye to Celeste and his Transfigurations professor/girlfriend's mom, he left the office and hurried off to the cool grounds to catch his breath. As soon as the door had closed behind him, mother and daughter met each other's eyes, and burst into helpless giggles.

-


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for the feedback-this is just a little chapter, more soon!

The first day of the O.W.L. exams, Celeste was awakened by the sound of birds, chirping happily outside her window. She lay in bed, enjoying the sweet sound until she remembered abruptly what day it was. Flinging herself out of bed, Celeste dressed silently so as not to wake the other girls in her dormitory, all of who had stayed up late studying for their first exam. Celeste had gone to bed early, if she didn't already know the subject already, there was no point cramming her brain with last minute information.

After she had finished getting dressed, Celeste went down to the great hall for breakfast. She liked waking early and eating before the main body of students crowded the Hall; she enjoyed the silence.

The hall began to fill slowly as she ate. There weren't very many students at the Gryffindor table, but Celeste was soon joined by one whose company was always welcome.

"Morning, Celeste," said Remus briskly, sitting down at the table and pouring himself some coffee, after refilling Celeste's cup. "Thought you might be up already. Nervous?"

"Not really," Celeste answered. "It's Defense Against the Dark Arts today. The written exam is first, which will be a snap. I'm not so certain about the practical exam though."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Remus assured her. "Listen Celeste, this may not be the best time to bring this up, but have you spoken to Snape since, well you know...I really think he might come around. I don't really care for him myself, but I know you do."

Celeste stared into her coffee mug. "I don't know, Remus," she said, "I honestly don't know if he would come around. But I'll try."

Remus put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "After the exams are over, then maybe he'll have calmed down a bit."

Celeste nodded but she knew in her heart nothing she could say would change how Severus felt.

-


	16. Chapter 16

-

The first week of O.W.L.s went by quickly as far as Celeste was concerned. She made no serious mistakes in any of the practical exams, although she did turn her salt shaker into a rooster instead of a hen, something her mother, watching from behind the examiner's table, didn't appreciate. She was positive she received an 'Outstanding' in Charms, Professor Flitwick was so excited after she finished, Celeste saw him levitate a few feet as she left the Great Hall.

The only exam Celeste was really worried about was Potions. This exam was the second to last exam, to be taken on the Thursday of the final week. When Thursday morning came around, Celeste went down for breakfast feeling ill. Remus tried to comfort her as she ate, her mother even stopped by on her way to the staff table to wish her luck and gave her arm a quick squeeze.

The written exam went by excruciatingly slowly. After that was finished, Celeste ate a hurried lunch before dragging herself to the room the fifth years were to wait in before they were called in to their practical exams. She was the first there, the other students soon arrived but no one spoke. Even the students who did well in Potions were nervous. Waiting for her name to be called, Celeste began to think about Severus and how she had promised Remus she would try to patch things up with him. History of Magic was the last exam of the week, and since there was obviously no practical exam to go with it, after the written test, they were free. Celeste made up her mind that after lunch tomorrow she would seek out Severus and try to work things out.

"Potak, Celeste," Professor Brewster's voice cut into Celeste's thoughts as he summoned her onto the Great Hall for her exam.

Following him, Celeste took deep, calming breaths so as not to throw up all over the examiner as they came face to face.

Oh, no, Celeste thought, as Professor Brewster placed her with the cranky old warlock who had tested her for Charms, he had been impressed in spite of himself then, but Celeste knew he would not be too pleased with her Potions skills.

Celeste was instructed to brew the restorative draught used for chronic insomniacs, when brewing this in class Celeste had burned a hole in her desk and received a detention. The memory of that unhappy day and the knowledge that she was a miserable Potions student weighed heavily on Celeste's mind. When she remembered how Severus had once loaned her his notes on that very potion and had even offered to help her make it, she lost it completely.

Fighting back tears, Celeste accidentally poured in too much lavender essence, causing a dense purple smoke to swell up out of her cauldron. She tried to vanish the smoke with a wave of her wand, but she was choking so hard on the thick smoke that she vanished the examiner's chair instead. Alternately coughing and apologizing to the furious examiner, Celeste helped him to his feet. One look from Professor Brewster gave her permission to leave, and she did.

After the door to the Great Hall closed behind her, Celeste flew through the Entrance hall and outside onto the grounds. She ran without looking where she was headed, and so ran straight into someone else. Celeste hit the ground and looked to see whom she had charged into.

The young man picked himself up off the ground and dusted off his robes. Celeste's apology stuck in her throat, it was Severus Snape.

-


	17. Chapter 17

-

"Severus!" Celeste exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

Severus' features softened momentarily as he took in her tearstained cheeks and the strong smell of lavender essence. But he quickly stifled his concern with a stony mask.

He nodded curtly and made to walk away but Celeste grabbed his arm.

"Severus, I must talk to you," she said, her voice pleading.

Severus glared at her but he stayed.

"I know you're angry at me for standing by Remus, but that's the choice I've made," she took a steadying breath and continued, "I wish there was a way to work things out, We've been friends for so long, I don't want to throw that away."

Severus looked down into her eyes for a moment. When he spoke his voice had such an edge of finality that Celeste took a step back.

"It's too late, Celeste. Our friendship is over. Nothing can ever bring it back to how it was."

At this, Celeste's face hardened and her voice became remarkably steady.

"Yes, Severus, it is over. But know that whatever happens, whatever you may say or do, I will always think of you as the person I grew up with, the considerate, loving person I know you could still be if you just tried."

With that, Celeste turned and marched toward the bench just outside the Forbidden Forest, where almost three weeks before; she and Severus Snape had sat as friends.

-

Remus Lupin sat on a couch in the Gryffindor common room waiting for Celeste to return. When she showed up, eyes red and puffy from crying he asked no questions, Minerva had told him what occurred during the Potions exam. Neither said anything as Celeste sank down on the couch beside him and buried her face in his shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair as she continued to sob.

-

Thursday evening was spent crying on Remus' shoulder, Friday's History of Magic exam was long and boring, Saturday Celeste slept in, exhausted after the O.W.L.s. The rest of Saturday was spent lounging around the common room and on the grounds. Celeste told Remus about her confrontation with Severus, then they made a silent agreement not to bring the subject up again.

Celeste was so worn out by the exams and the emotional stress she had been under that she completely forgot Sunday was her sixteenth birthday.

At about six Monday morning, Celeste was awoken by a sharp pain in her arm. Opening her eyes and peering through the semidarkness she saw the pain was caused by the sharp talons of her owl, Odette. Sitting up in bed, Celeste stroked the owl's feathers and pulled the letter free from its beak. Pulling her wand out from under her pillow, Celeste whispered "lumos" and read the following:

_Celestina-_

_Meet me in Minerva's chambers at 6:15 _

_-Dad _

Celeste flew out of bed and slipped out of her pajamas and into some clothes. She didn't bother to even brush her hair. After giving Odette an owl treat and seeing her out the window, Celeste left the dormitory and went down to the common room. Pulling out her wand, Celeste charmed a fire into the grate and summoned a small box of floo powder. Tossing some of the powder into the fire she stepped inside the emerald flames and whispered, "McGonagall's chambers."

Only a select number of people could access the professors' private chambers. If you were not one of the few the professors' chose, the fire would simply chuck you out.

Celeste spun around a few times and stepped out of her mother's fireplace at exactly 6:10am. Minerva was sitting on the couch waiting.

"Good morning, dear," Minerva said standing up and kissing Celeste lightly on the forehead. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, mom," Celeste said. "When did dad decide to come?"

"I received an owl from him late last night," Minerva answered. "He said he wanted to see you on your birthday, he didn't want to wait another week to see you I suppose."

Celeste smiled. She missed her father, she was about to ask her mother how long Erik Potak planned on staying, when the flames in the fireplace turned green, he was coming.


	18. Chapter 18

Feedback is lovely...Kerichi sorry about the short chapters, this one is longer. Also, I cannot change the story to simply Romance, suffer through till the end and you will see why...

This chapter is the final chapter for Celeste as a student...the next chapter will be set a few years later.

---------

As Minerva and Celeste watched, a man stepped out of the flames and into the room, brushing soot from his clothes. He was tall and handsome, with a mischievous look in his gray eyes. His wavy hair was the same deep brown as Celeste's, but it was turning gray at the temples. Upon seeing Celeste he threw open his arms as she rushed to greet him.

"There she is, how I've missed you Celeste!"

Celeste hugged her father tightly as he kissed the top of her head. Erik Potak was about 6'1" tall, his ex-wife barely four inches shorter, but for some reason Celeste had never stretched beyond 5'6". Pulling away from his daughter, Erik surveyed her closely.

"Well," he said, "you certainly haven't gotten any taller. But you have, if possible, grown more beautiful."

"Since Christmas?" Celeste asked mischievously.

"Since Christmas," Erik replied, then turned to Minerva. "Hello, Kitty, you look well."

"Thank you Erik, I am." She smiled and gave him a small hug as he kissed her cheek. "I'm sure you haven't eaten yet, so I'll summon something up from the kitchens."

Minerva walked over to her table and tapped it twice. Instantly the table was covered in platters, there was sausages and boiled eggs, a large bowl of chocolate covered strawberries, and even a crystal pitcher filled with champagne and orange juice. Minerva began pouring the juice for them all while Erik asked Celeste about her O.W.L. exams.

"So, my dear," he said, "how did the exams go, you didn't set anyone ablaze did you?"

"Not exactly," Celeste replied, then proceeded to tell him about the Potions disaster. "Other than that, everything went well. I got an 'Outstanding' in Charms and Care of Magical Creatures, I'm sure. My Transfiguration wasn't bad either."

Erik glanced inquiringly at Minerva who nodded. "She did very well in her Transfiguration exam, except of course for the rooster business, but I've seen worse."

The morning went by pleasantly, Erik brought news of the new vineyard he had purchased, as well as greetings from one of Minerva's aunts that he had run into while in Scotland.

"Tell me, Celeste," he said turning to look at her, "how is young Mr. Black?"

"He's fine," she answered, "but we're just friends now. I'm dating Remus Lupin, he's a friend of Sirius."

"Really," said Erik, raising an eyebrow and turning to Minerva. "What is your opinion of this boy, Minerva?"

"He's an excellent young man, Erik," she answered smiling. "And he's very much in love with your daughter."

"Well, I guess its all right then," said Erik, winking at Celeste. If Minerva approved of this young man then _he_ had nothing to say against him.

Erik asked about all the teachers, including Professor Brewster. Celeste made a face at his name and stuck out her tongue.

"I see things haven't changed then," said Erik laughing. "But how is Severus? Is he staying out of trouble?"

Celeste looked down at the table and said nothing. Erik noticed the tear sliding down her cheek and guessed it's meaning. A look from Minerva told him he was right.

"I'm sorry," he said gently, "That's too bad."

-

Erik Potak stayed until after noon. When he had left, Celeste kissed her mother and headed back to the common room. When she arrived it was to find the room empty save for a few first years playing gobstones. One of them looked up as she entered.

"Oh, Miss Celeste," he squeaked, "Miss Lily said to tell you to meet her out by the lake when you got back."

"Thanks, Nick," Celeste said, then turned and went back through the portrait hole.

The grounds were covered with students, all lounging in the sun and talking to one another. Some called out to Celeste as she passed; she waved and continued on towards the lake. There on a large blanket sat Lily, James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus, all waiting for her, a large birthday cake between them.

"Happy Birthday!" they called as she came into view. She sat down next to Remus on the blanket after giving Lily a hug and thanking them all for surprising her.

"Where were you this morning?" Remus asked after kissing her in greeting.

"My dad came by for an early breakfast," she whispered, not wanting the others to know. For some reason she couldn't understand, she really didn't want James, Sirius, or Peter to know Minerva McGonagall was her mother.

Remus nodded and cut her a slice of cake, angel food, her favorite. After they had finished eating the cake, they all gave Celeste a present. Lily gave her a small painting of Celeste that she had done herself and Remus gave her a beautiful hand drawn map of Hogwarts castle, Celeste was amazed, she had no idea Remus could draw maps with such skill. After opening the candies from James and Peter and the eagle quill from Sirius, there was one more present to be opened. No one new who it was from, an owl had delivered it to her bed that morning.

Celeste gently removed the wrapping to reveal a small, silk covered book. Inside, in beautiful calligraphy, was a compilation of poems and prayers, from Scotland and Poland. Celeste knew instantly who had sent it, whom else new of her parent's home countries? Who else but Severus Snape would send her such a collection? As she rifled through the pages, a small note fell out.

_Celeste- _

_Our friendship is coming to an end, but I wanted you to have this as a reminder of how it used to be. _

_-SS _

Celeste tucked the note back inside the book and told the others it was from an aunt. Remus looked at her closely, but said nothing. Celeste smiled at him and took his hand, she missed Severus, but despite that dull ache in her chest, she was happy.


	19. Chapter 19

Here we go, a nice long post to make everyone happy.

Some things to keep in mind while reading the next few posts (so as to avoid confusion)

-I have fastforwarded 5 years, Celeste is now 21

-She and Remus are engaged

-James and Lily are married

-The month is July, just over a year before Harry is born

-James, Sirius, and Peter all know Celeste is McGonagall's daughter

-James, Lily, Peter, Sirius, and Remus are members of the Order

-LV is in full power; Severus is a death eater

I think that's all you need to know before hand. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

-----------

Celeste pulled a large weed from the garden and threw it aside. She was almost finished for the day, Minerva would be returning soon and Celeste was eager for news. Around Christmastime, Celeste had sold her apartment and come to stay at her mother's house in the country. Minerva McGonagall was never home so Celeste had taken charge of decorating, cleaning, and once spring had come, gardening.

The once thistle infested forest was now in bloom with rich, beautiful colors. Celeste had been working with the families of the Death Eater victims in the Counseling ward at St. Mungo's, but she had been forced to take leave to recover from a high, exhausting fever and now spent most of her time perfecting her mother's neglected garden.

There was one area of the garden that Celeste didn't spend as much time working in as the rest. A large treehouse her father had once built for her stood in the center of the yard. Celeste had removed the weeds that had entangled it, but she had not climbed up inside. Just looking at it brought back powerful memories from her childhood. All of which reminded her of her childhood friend, Severus Snape. Thinking about him was something Celeste tried to avoid as much as possible.

Celeste and Severus had been very close friends growing up. But their friendship fell apart in Celeste's fifth year at Hogwarts; they had barely spoken since then. She had seen him once, the year before. The Snape mansion was very close to Minerva McGonagall's summer home. Adolf Snape had died some years ago; Clarisse Snape had died in late November. Minerva and Clarisse had never gotten along and Mrs. Snape had never approved of the friendship between her son and Minerva's daughter. But Minerva and Celeste had both attended Clarisse's funeral. Severus had been there too, but he had ignored every attempt Celeste had made to speak to him.

What bothered Celeste most was that Severus had joined a group of people known as Death Eaters. They followed a man who called himself Lord Voldemort. These people terrorized muggles and muggleborn witches and wizards, as well as all purebloods that stood against them. Celeste was horrified to know that Severus had joined these people, her fiancé, Remus Lupin, was a member of a group who fought stop Lord Voldemort and end his reign of terror.

Every account of a Death Eater attack made Celeste sick at heart. Not only did she fear for Remus' safety and the safety of her friends who also fought against Lord Voldemort, Celeste also feared that it was Severus who had committed those crimes. She didn't want to believe her childhood friend could do such things, but she knew it was all too possible.

As Celeste was putting her garden tools away, she heard a loud _pop_ from inside the kitchen telling her Minerva McGonagall had just apparated. Wiping her dirty hands on her jeans, Celeste went inside to greet her mom.

"Hello, mom," Celeste said brightly as she entered the kitchen. Seeing the worried look on her mom's face she rushed to her side. "Has something happened? Is Remus all right? Lily? James?"

"There're all fine," Minerva answered. "I just received an owl from Albus, the Prewetts have been murdered."

Celeste gasped and sank down into a chair at the kitchen table. The Prewetts were members of the Order of the Phoenix, like Remus. They were purebloods.

"How's Molly?" Celeste asked. Molly Weasley was a cousin of the Prewetts, Celeste knew she would take the news hard.

"As can be expected," Minerva answered. "Arthur would like us to come get the older boys and keep them here for a few days."

"Of course," Celeste answered, jumping to her feet. "Let's go."

Celeste apparated into the cozy living room of the Burrow. Minerva appeared right beside her. Immediately, two small redheaded boys appeared and launched themselves at Celeste. Bill, seven, and Charlie, six, were both rambunctious, mischievous, and completely smitten with Celeste.

"Hello boys," Celeste said, hugging them both. "I guess you two are coming to stay with me, that'll be fun won't it?"

The boys agreed and at Celeste's urging, flew upstairs to pack their things. Minerva had told Celeste before they left her house that the boys didn't know what had happened, Arthur and Molly wanted to tell them, but not right away.

Arthur Weasley, redheaded like his kids, appeared out of the kitchen and smiled sadly at the two women.

"Hello, Celeste, Minerva," he said, "thank you for coming. I know Bill and Charlie will enjoy staying with you, Molly really needs some time to herself."

"What about Percy and the twins then?" asked Minerva. "Would you like us to keep them as well?"

"Oh, no," said Arthur, "Molly doesn't want to let the twins out of her sight. You know how they are. And besides, I think she needs them with her for comfort. There're so young they won't understand any of it anyway. As for Percy, he's been keeping be company today, I think he should stay too. Why don't you have something to eat before you take the boys?"

Celeste and Minerva agreed. As it turned out, _they _had to prepare dinner, Molly had stayed in bed all day and was in no condition to fix anything, Arthur had been kept so busy chasing after Bill, Charlie, and the twins, that he hadn't had any time. Neither Celeste nor Minerva objected, however, they had a strong affection for the Weasley family and wanted to do everything possible to help them.

Dinner went well, Bill and Charlie were, for the most part, well behaved, the one year old twins made only a minimum amount of mess, and even Molly, puffy-eyed and subdued, was able to appreciate the excellent dinner.

After they had finished cleaning the kitchen, Celeste and Minerva helped the boys finish their packing and watched as they kissed their parents goodbye. The boys were planning on staying a week, but Celeste suspected Molly would want her children close to her again before the week was over.

Celeste dissapparated with the few pieces of luggage and returned immediately to take Bill and Charlie by floo powder. After she and the boys had disappeared in the emerald flames, Minerva turned to Arthur.

"If you need anything at all, let me know," she said. He nodded and thanked her, looking grave, Minerva dissaparated.

-

Bedtime was not the favorite time of day for Bill and Charlie Weasley. Minerva and Celeste spent an hour chasing them around the house and garden in an attempt to get them to take a bath. In the end, Minerva shot two strong ropes out of her wand and held the boys bound while Celeste squirted them with water then toweled them dry.

When at last the boys had been persuaded to lie down in the guestroom prepared for them, they fell asleep at once. Laughing at the boys' antics, Celeste and her mother went to the kitchen for some tea. It was late; almost midnight and they were both exsausted.

"Mom, do you think Molly will be all right?" Celeste asked as she poured their tea.

"In time," Minerva replied. "Everyone fears that they or someone they love will be the next victim, unfortunately, it often is."

They both were silent, thinking to themselves. Suddenly the silence was broken by a loud roar. Minerva and Celeste looked at each other in confusion, the sound was familiar but neither could understand why it would come at such an hour.

Getting up from the table, Celeste went to look out the window. There in the side yard stood a huge black motorcycle. It belonged to Sirius Black, but the man getting off the bike wasn't Sirius, it was...

"Remus!" Celeste flew from the window, out the door, and into the arms of her fiancé, Remus Lupin.

From the kitchen window, Minerva watched their embrace and smiled.

When the two finally entered the kitchen, Minerva greeted Remus and poured him a cup of tea. He looked slightly worn, the full moon had only been two nights before, but he was smiling and Minerva could see that merely being in each other's presence did wonders for the young couple.

"Tell me Remus," Minerva asked in amusement, "does Sirius know you've borrowed his motorcycle?"

Remus laughed and shook his head. "No," he answered, "Sirius would never let anyone ride his bike, he's doing work for the Order, I'll make sure to return it before he gets back."

"Remus," said Celeste, looking suddenly pale. "I'm sure you've heard about the Prewetts' murders, is there any word on who killed them?"

Remus and Minerva glanced at each other uneasily; they both knew why Celeste asked this. She hadn't told them, but they both knew she worried the answer would be 'Severus Snape'.

"We don't know yet, Cice," Remus answered gently. "But it was most likely the Knell brothers, the Prewetts had received several threats from them just recently."

Celeste looked rather relieved.

-

The three stayed up late talking. At about three in the morning Celeste went upstairs to check on the boys. As soon as the kitchen door had closed behind her, Remus turned to Minerva.

"How is she Minerva, really?" he asked. "I know she's worried about a lot of things right now."

"Considering the circumstances she's doing fine," Minerva replied. "But she'll be a lot better once You-Know-Who has been defeated. Are you really going to wait until then to get married?"

Remus sighed. "We don't have much choice Minerva, the only time I'm not doing work for the Order is when I'm a werewolf. Besides, the house isn't even ready yet, it still needs a new roof."

The house he referred to was a small cottage Minerva and Erik had bought for Celeste and Remus as an engagement present. It was old and in much need of repair, but Celeste had loved the house since she was thirteen and it was the perfect size for the two of them and for the children they both hoped to have one day. At the moment, Remus lived there alone and made repairs whenever he had the chance, which wasn't very often.

"One day You-Know-Who will be defeated and the two of you will be together," said Minerva, smiling at him fondly.

"You're right," Remus replied. He believed this; he just wasn't sure when that day would be.


	20. Chapter 20

Hmmmm...only a few chapters left...two more till the climax...feedback? Oh yes, my apologies for taking so long to post this chapter!

-

As Celeste had predicted, Molly came to fetch the boys after only four days. Molly had grieved enough, now she just wanted to gather her children close.

Celeste and Minerva didn't put up much of a fight, they were exhausted after chasing the two boys around and trying to keep them out of trouble.

School would not start until September, but Minerva had decided to get started on her lessons and so had headed off to Diagon Alley for supplies. Celeste opted to remain at the house to recover from their guests. The fever that had forced her to leave St. Mungoes was still taking its toll. Celeste had taken a long time to recover and now weeks later, she still felt dizzy and easily became short of breath. These moments of weakness worried her, but she refused to let either Minerva or Remus know, they would worry excessively and would want to keep an eye on her at all times, something Celeste did not want.

Once Minerva had left for Diagon Alley, Celeste went around the house, trying to repair the damage inflicted by the two boys. Nothing serious, Minerva didn't keep many trinkets around her house, but there was a large stain on an armchair Celeste was sure had come from Bill's hot chocolate. There wasn't any scouring solution in the house and Celeste wasn't very good at making potions, so she let the stain slide, Minerva was never home to notice anyway. She didn't think her mom would care, but Celeste placed a pillow over the spot to be safe.

Before Celeste had come to stay at her mother's place the house had been abandoned. The furniture had been covered in sheets and the paintings as well. There weren't very many paintings; a few McGonagalls that Minerva had been rather fond of had left her their portraits in their wills. They were mostly jovial uncles and feminist aunts, but there was one portrait of Minerva's great grandmother Inez, who was rather stern and formidable except after partaking in some sherry with the portraits of her grandchildren. Celeste thought Inez and her mother much alike.

Around midday, Celeste received an owl from her best friend, Lily Potter. Lily wanted to meet for dinner; Celeste returned the owl saying she would meet Lily at their favorite muggle restaurant at six. She had no sooner sent the owl out the window than a familiar voice called out from the garden.

"Anyone home? I'm sure I've come to the wrong place because this certainty _cannot_ be _Minerva McGonagall's_ garden."

Rolling her eyes, Celeste opened the back door and came face to face with her father, Erik Potak.

"Hello dad, like what I've done out back?" Celeste asked, smiling.

Erik laughed and pulled her into a hug. His dark brown hair was slowly becoming streaked with silver, Celeste felt this suited him and thought he looked handsome. Minerva wouldn't admit it, but she thought so too.

"What brings you by here, dad?" Celeste asked as they settled themselves at the kitchen table.

"I was driving up to London and thought I'd drop by to see how you were doing," he smiled. "Don't think I don't know about your dizzy spells, you can't hide anything from your mother. She sent me an owl this morning and suggested I come check on you."

Celeste groaned, then she raised her eyebrows.

"What is it that takes you to London, today of all days?" she asked, looking at her father suspiciously.

He laughed. "You sly thing. I'm going to have dinner with Kitty, if you must know. She said she would be running errands in Diagon Alley and suggested if I would see you on my way we could have dinner."

Celeste snorted, her mother arranging a date with Erik wasn't very thrilling. Most likely they would talk about Celeste and what improvements could be made to the cottage they had bought for her. There wasn't any chance of a romance between them anymore, something which didn't bother Celeste very much. She had long stopped thinking of them as a former couple and merely thought of them as her parents. Good friends who had merely had a child together.

Celeste and her father spent some time talking about her engagement. Erik took a moment to admire her ring, which she hadn't had during his last visit. It was a thin silver band with a single ruby surrounded by tiny diamonds. It had belonged to Remus' great aunt and Celeste loved it.

-

After Erik had left, Celeste began to get ready for dinner with Lily. She chose a pale pink halter dress and tied a scarf around her hair. Grabbing her purse, Celeste closed her eyes and pictured the small wooded area close to the cafe. Seconds later, she was there. Crossing the street, Celeste entered the small cafe and looked around for Lily.

Immediately, Celeste spotted the flaming red hair of her friend and went join her.

"Hello, Lily," Celeste said, sitting down at the table.

Lily Potter looked up and greeted Celeste warmly. She was wearing an emerald top that matched her eyes exactly. At Hogwarts she had been Lily Evans, but two years ago she had married James Potter, a very good friend of Remus Lupin's. Like Celeste, Lily was very beautiful, every eye in the room, was directed at their table.

The two friends chatted for awhile, but the conversation, as it always did, turned towards the war against Lord Voldemort. Lily was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, as was James.

"Lily, how are things going with the Order?" Celeste asked. "Are you any closer to stopping him?"

"I really don't know," Lily said, her lovely eyes full of concern. "He's so very powerful, and he has so many supporters."

Celeste looked down at her plate. Yes, Lord Voldemort did have alot of supporters; Severus was one of them. Lily seemed to sense her friend's distress.

"Oh, Celeste! Please don't worry about Snape," Lily pleaded, "perhaps he'll come around. You shouldn't feel responsible for the decisions he's made."

Celeste sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry Lily, your're right," she gave an apologetic smile. "Let's talk about something else, what about that dog James wants to get? Did you say it was a Great Dane?"

"Yes, it's a monster," Lily laughed. "You should see the thing, it's huge! I've tried to point out we have no time to take care of a brute like that, but he's smitten."

-

The two friends spent a pleasurable evening together and when Celeste finally apparated back to her mother's house it was well past midnight.


	21. Chapter 21

-

The woman screamed and turned to run. But the curse caught up with her and she crumpled to the ground, dead.

Severus Snape sat bolt upright in bed, shaking.

Cursing himself for not taking a Sleeping draught, Severus sank back onto the thin mattress. For about two months now, the Sleeping draught had been Severus' drug of choice. He had run out the week before and had neglected to make more. As a result, Severus had had to endure five nights of uneasy sleep and nightmares.

The woman in his latest dream was Mrs. Martha Scott. Her husband, Joseph Scott, had been a Death Eater, like Severus. But Joseph had decided to leave the Death Eaters and had fled the country. Severus had been sent to question Mrs. Scott as to her husband's whereabouts, but she had refused to give any answers. So, Severus did as he had been instructed, he killed her.

Mrs. Scott wasn't the only one who haunted Severus' dreams; aurors and muggles kept him awake as well. Severus threw back the covers on his bed and stumbled into his apartment's tiny kitchenette. When his mother had died, Severus had been left the family mansion, but at the age of seventeen Severus swore to himself that he would never live in that house again. Severus intended to honor his vow, which was why he was living in a grimy apartment building in a rundown part of town.

Severus poured himself a cup of coffee and added a large amount of firewhiskey. It burned going down, but he felt much better, he had stopped shaking at least.

About two years ago, Severus had joined a group of people known as Death Eaters. These people followed a man who called himself, Lord Voldemort. When Severus had first joined, the idea of unlimited power had been appealing, but not any more. The unending killing and torture wasn't what Severus had counted on, if he hadn't known the penalty for leaving Lord Voldemort was death, Severus probably would have quit right then. Severus was a very powerful wizard and had earned himself a high position in the Dark Lord's ranks. Severus had once looked up to Voldemort, but not anymore, Severus now only saw him as mad, power hungry maniac.

Severus drank another cup of coffee then glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall and swore. It was eleven o'clock; he was due to meet with some other Death Eaters at eleven thirty. Severus took a quick shower and shaved, frowning at the mirror as he saw his reflection. His gaunt face made him look as if he was thirty-five, he was actually twenty-two, life as a Death Eater was taking its toll. Severus dressed and pulled on a set of swishy black robes. They were new, he and another Death Eater were to induct a new member and Severus wanted to look impressive.

Placing his wand inside his robes, Severus disapparated, and appeared outside a large mansion. Severus knocked on the front doors, they were immediately opened by a house-elf, which bowed Severus inside and led him into the parlor to wait for the master of the house.

Severus didn't wait long, less than three minutes later, the parlor door opened and Lucius Malfoy strode in.

"Hello, Severus," said Lucius, grasping Severus' hand firmly.

Lucius Malfoy was tall, though not quite as tall as Severus, and very handsome. His silvery blond hair was long and tied back with a black satin ribbon. His gray eyes were cold, as was his manner. Lucius was about six years older than Severus; he was also very, very rich.

The two men sat and began to discuss what the day would hold. Severus and Lucius were to teach a new recruit the ways of the Death Eaters; Severus received quite a shock when he learned the young man's name.

"Black?" Severus asked in surprise. "Regulus Black, the younger brother of Sirius Black? He wants to join the Death Eaters?"

"Yes he does," Lucius replied. "Sirius is the only muggle lover the Black family has produced, except for Andromeda, of course. The whole family is quite ashamed of him."

Severus nodded. Of course Regulus wanted to become a Death Eater, any Black who associated with muggles was disowned, no doubt Regulus just wanted to stay in his family's good graces. Lucius had married a Black, Narcissa, her sister, Andromeda, had married a muggle, and was now shunned from her family forever. Severus had gone to school with Sirius Black; they had hated each other.

"So, where is Regulus?" Severus asked.

"Bellatrix will be bringing him here shortly," Lucius replied.

Severus groaned inwardly. He didn't like Bellatrix Lestrange, formerly Bellatrix Black. She was the elder sister of Lucius' wife, she had thick, glossy black hair and a voluptuous figure, but she always made Severus feel ill at ease. Severus knew why, Lucius was cold and calculating when it came to killing, Bellatrix on the other hand, took pleasure in the suffering of her victims.

A few minutes later there was a knock at the front door. Severus could hear the house-elf scurry across the hall to answer it. Moments later, the parlor door was opened and Bellatrix Lestrange entered the room. Both men stood as she came in, Lucius strode over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Severus merely bowed.

"Hello, Severus," she said coldly, inclining her head.

"Where is the young man?" Severus asked, wishing the day were already over.

"Oh, him," Bellatrix smiled, "I have already given him an assignment."

Severus wondered what kind of an assignment would cause Bellatrix to smile in that way. Knowing her it was probably something awful.

"What exactly is his assignment?" Severus asked, not really wanting to know.

"Well, on the way to my aunt's house to collect Regulus, I spotted a young witch in Nightingale Park. I told Regulus that if he could successfully kill the witch then he could consider himself a Death Eater," said Bellatrix, still smiling.

Severus felt sick. Bellatrix had just ordered her cousin to murder an innocent young woman and she was smiling about it.

"Do you happen to know the young woman's name?" Severus asked coolly.

"Why, yes. Actually I believe the two of you were at Hogwarts together," said Bellatrix. "Celeste Potak, a half blood."

Severus thought he would throw up then and there.

Celeste Potak. His childhood friend, the girl he had grown up with, the only friend he had ever had. Their friendship had fallen apart during Severus' sixth year at Hogwarts. Celeste had come to his mother's funeral, seeing her there had ripped a hole in Severus' heart, it was his foolishness and stubborn ways that had ended their friendship and he hated himself for that. Now Celeste was going to be murdered.

Severus felt as if someone was trying to smother him. It was becoming hard to breathe and his head was spinning wildly.

Maybe she's not dead yet, Severus thought to himself.

The thought that Celeste might still be alive brought Severus back to his senses.

"Well, then," he said, fighting to keep his voice level. "I guess there's no reason to stay, I think I'll just go back to my apartment."

Neither Lucius nor Bellatrix made any objections, but Bellatrix's eyes were narrowed as she watched him leave.

As soon as the house-elf had closed the door behind him, Severus disapparated.

-

The next chapter is the one to decide Celeste's fate...but I won't post it without feedback!


	22. Chapter 22

-

The clock in the church chimed for the half-hour, it was eleven thirty. Celeste looked up from her book and reflected, she had been in the park for an hour now, still sitting on the same bench. Celeste was supposed to meet her fiancé, Remus Lupin, in Diagon Alley, but not for another hour. Celeste turned back to her book.

The park Celeste was sitting in was named Nightingale Park, after the cottage she and Remus were to live in, the park was her favorite place in the world. After Hogwarts, it was the place she felt safest. Remus had proposed to her on the same bench she was sitting on, but that wasn't the only reason Celeste loved the park. There was a stillness in the air that made Celeste feel as if in a holy place. Celeste was very troubled about Lord Voldemort and his followers, they were a threat to herself, and everyone she loved. But in Nightingale Park, the evil that Celeste felt tainting the world wasn't there. In the park there was nothing but peace, thoughts of pain, anger, and death could not enter.

But as Celeste was reading, something entered the park. Something that did not belong there, something that tainted the very air, something evil. Celeste could feel it, she felt the change in the air and looked up, knowing that the holiness of the place had been violated, for once in her life, she was truly afraid.

Celeste laid down her book and gripped her wand tightly inside her robes. She stood up slowly and looked around. There was no one in sight, but the birds had stopped singing and the silence was menacing. Still holding tight to her wand, Celeste began to walk, looking from side to side for a glimpse of what she knew was there. A twig snapped and Celeste spun around, her stomach twisted in knots.

A man stood only a few yards away, his face hidden in the shadow of a tree. Celeste took a step backwards, the man advanced a few feet and Celeste gasped as she caught sight of his face.

"Regulus," she breathed. She knew it was Regulus Black, he looked everything like his older brother, Sirius, whom Celeste had known, even dated, at Hogwarts. Sirius was a good friend of Remus; he was also in the Order. Celeste knew that Regulus disapproved of his brother's choices, the sight of him here was unnerving.

Regulus said nothing, he was breathing very fast, and sweat gleamed on his forehead, although it was cool in the shade of the trees. Like his brother, Regulus was very handsome, but his nervous manner was nothing like Sirius'. Regulus continued to stare at Celeste, saying nothing.

"Er...you probably don't know me, we've never met, but I'm Celeste Potak, I know your brother Sirius," said Celeste, unsure what to do.

"I know that," said Regulus, his voice croaky in an attempt to conceal his nerves.

"Well, I guess, um...is there something I can help you with? Were you looking for me?" Celeste was extremely uneasy, Regulus said nothing.

A few moments passed, Celeste holding tight to the wand that was still concealed beneath her robes, while Regulus stood silently, breathing unevenly. Finally, Celeste spoke.

"Well, if there isn't anything, then I'll just go," she said, starting to back away.

"No!" said Regulus sharply, raising his wand. "You have to stay."

Celeste froze and looked at the wand pointed towards her, then to the face of the man holding it.

"Regulus," she said softly. "I don't know who sent you, but it's not worth it. You don't have to hurt me, we can leave here and I'll help you. Come with me, I know people who will hide you from the people who are making you do this."

"Stop talking," Regulus instructed, taking a step closer.

"Regulus," said Celeste, her voice a little sharper now. "Killing me will solve nothing; it will get you nowhere-"

"You're wrong," Regulus interrupted. "It will get me right where I want to be."

"Maybe that's so," said Celeste, "but I can tell you don't really want to kill me."

"What do you know about what I want?" yelled Regulus, suddenly angry.

"No more than you do," said Celeste. "You're young, barely out of Hogwarts; you can't just run into things without thinking it through!"

Her words stung Regulus in a very sore spot, he refused to think himself young, to be patronized by a half-blooded witch was the limit. His nervousness forgotten, Regulus advanced on Celeste in a cold fury.

"Shut up!" he yelled. "Shut up you filthy wench! I'll kill you!"

Celeste backed up quickly and pulled out her wand. Regulus cried _crucio! _Celeste lifted her wand just in time and blocked the curse. But Celeste had suddenly felt dizzy right before shielding herself, the power in the young man's curse sent her to the ground. Her wand was still clutched in her hand as she fell and Celeste raised this to defend herself again, but she was too late. _Avada Kedavra_ shot through the air and hit her squarely in the chest. Celeste fell back onto the ground gracefully, her hair splayed about her face and the surprised look on her face softened into an expression of peace.

-

Regulus stood silently, staring down in horror at what he had just done. He was so engrossed with the still figure at his feet that he didn't hear the _pop_ of apparation, or the man's voice as it called out, breaking into the silence of the park.

-

"Celeste!" Severus called again, looking around the park, an urgency such as he had never known, gripping his heart tightly.

He caught sight of a bench and on it a woman's purse. A silk covered book lay beside the purse, but there was no woman. Severus spun around frantically, Celeste was in the park, he knew. Breathing quickly, Severus ran towards a group of trees, he stopped as he caught sight of Regulus standing there, looking down at a figure on the ground.

"No," Severus breathed, his heart pounding madly. "NO!"

He sprinted towards the figure, shoved Regulus away roughly, and threw himself onto the ground beside Celeste's body. Muttering furiously to himself, Severus placed his hand upon her neck, swearing when he felt no pulse.

"No, Celeste," he said, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her roughly. "No, you're not dead; do you hear me Celeste? You're not dead, you're not dead, you're not..."

His voice trailed away as his body became wracked with sobs. He pulled Celeste's body into his arms and cradled her there as he cried. He had often cried when he was a little boy, but this was different. Severus felt as if his soul was being ripped apart, his heart was shattered, the only coherent thought he had was that Celeste was dead.

He sobbed for a long time, while the still shocked Regulus looked on, uncomprehending. When Severus could cry no longer he lay Celeste's body back onto the ground, and gently brushed a few hairs out of her face. Then he stood up and turned to Regulus.

"Do you know what you have done?" Severus asked, his voice level, eyes cold.

Regulus stood silently, only a little fearful of the furious man before him. Severus walked toward the younger man, when he was barely two feet away, he spoke again.

"You have just murdered the most perfect being ever to grace this miserable planet," said Severus, pain and fury etched into every word. "And here you stand, you worthless piece of filth, alive, while she lies there dead!"

Regulus didn't have time to take another breath; he was dead before he hit the ground.

-

Minerva stood at the kitchen window. A feeling of unease had been bothering her for the past hour. Something was wrong, terribly, terribly wrong, but Minerva couldn't put a finger on what it was. A sharp _pop_ came from the garden, Minerva jumped at the sound and hurried to the door to see who had just apparated.

Instantly, Minerva knew what was wrong, in that instant her world crumbled and was flipped inside out. Minerva stood staring at the shell that had once been her daughter, and then she turned away and sat at the kitchen table, her grief too large, too unbearably great. She couldn't cry, the human reservoir of tears had run dry, she could only sit and force her heart to keep beating, her lungs to keep breathing.

-

Remus stared at the body on the couch, it wasn't Celeste, he knew it wasn't Celeste. This woman wore Celeste's clothes and her ring, but it wasn't Celeste. His mind kept saying telling him this over and over again, but his heart, his heart knew the truth. His heart knew Celeste was dead, because the spot in his heart where once she had been, was now only a gaping chasm. Celeste was dead, Remus knew this. When finally his brain understood this, Remus hit his knees and wept.

-


	23. Chapter 23

Yes, she's dead. I'm sorry, but I decided when I wrote this fic that she would die. This chapter here is whyI labled this fic as a Sev. fic, please leave feedback...if you don't hate me for killing Celeste. Only one chapter left.

-

Albus Dumbledore surveyed the young man before him with eyes that were uncharacteristically somber. Severus Snape could not bring himself to look into those eyes. It had taken Severus a great deal of self-will to seek out his former headmaster, but now that he was with Dumbledore, his resolve was beginning to crumble away. Standing before Dumbledore, Severus felt his insides burn with guilt and shame. Dumbledore would no doubt send him straight to Azkaban, if that was the case, Severus could do little to help himself, Dumbledore was far more powerful than he was.

But Dumbledore did not pull out his wand to curse Severus; on the contrary, he offered him a seat. Severus hesitated, then sat down. The two men were silent for some time, finally, Dumbledore spoke.

"I understand it isn't easy for you to come here, Severus," said Dumbledore, in a remarkably kind voice. "But I'm very glad you did."

Severus looked up at the older wizard briefly, then looked back down at his knees. They were in Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts; it had been a few years since Severus had been in that office, on that occasion Severus had been in a towering rage, now he just wanted to cry.

"Professor," said Severus, his voice croaking, "I, well I'll understand if you turn me over to the ministry, but there's a few things I'd like to say first."

Dumbledore said nothing, but looked at Severus over his half-moon glasses, as if encouraging him to continue. Severus cleared his throat.

"I, well," Severus paused, then plunged on. "I can't tell you how terrible I feel, most people don't know this, but Celeste and I were once very good friends. Losing her has changed everything. I didn't kill her, but deep down I feel responsible. If I hadn't been working for the Dark Lord, things would have been different; I could have been working against him instead of helping him grow stronger."

Severus stopped speaking, his throat was becoming constricted and he was finding it difficult to hold back the bitter tears that were fighting to escape. Dumbledore sat silently and waited for Severus to go on.

"Regulus Black was the one who killed her," said Severus, spitting out the name, "He's dead now, it won't be long before they find his body, after that, Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange will know exactly what's happened."

"Well then," Dumbledore said suddenly, making Severus jump. "We'll have to come up with a story so that they won't suspect you."

"Excuse me?" said Severus, at a loss to understand what Dumbledore meant. "What do you mean, we?"

"Severus," said Dumbledore, rising from behind his desk and walking around to stand in front of Severus. "I have no intention of turning you over to the Ministry of Magic; on the contrary, I'm going to make you an offer. I realize that at the moment, your grief for Celeste and the guilt you feel has driven you to seek me out, but I also know that after those feelings have lessened somewhat you will not feel so kindly towards the idea of spending time in Azkaban."

Severus was rather taken aback to hear that Dumbledore was not going to turn him in, he looked at the old man quizzically. "What kind of offer?" he asked.

"I understand from Minerva that you have learned the art of Occulmency,' said Dumbledore.

Severus nodded, he had been taught Occulmency by his uncle when he was sixteen, and Minerva McGonagall had thought it a brilliant idea. No doubt she had just been pleased to hear he had spent that summer productively.

'I'd like you to join the Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore went on, "I would like for you to return to Voldemort as a spy."

Severus flinched at the Dark Lord's name and looked up at Dumbledore in surprise.

"You want me to join the Order?" said Severus in amazement. "After what I've done, what I've been?"

Dumbledore nodded. Severus continued to stare at him, utterly bewildered, he had never imagined forgiveness would ever be extended towards himself, but it was there, shining it the eyes of Albus Dumbledore.

-

Severus apparated into the garden and stood a moment, staring at the wooden tree house. He wanted desperately to climb inside and block away the rest of the world like he had done when he was younger. But ignoring the world was no longer an option. Severus sighed and knocked on the back door.

A woman opened the door; it took Severus a few moments before he realized it was Minerva McGonagall, the woman he had come to see. Her face was drawn and her proud shoulders drooped. Her eyes widened as she saw Severus, but she stood aside to let him in.

Severus entered the kitchen; they had not spoken when he had brought Celeste's body. Severus had been too full of rage; Minerva had been struck dumb with grief. Minerva closed the door behind him and they looked at each other in silence. Severus was the first to speak.

"I've been to see Dumbledore," he said softly, "I'm now a member of the Order."

Minerva nodded, but did not speak. Severus chanced a look into her eyes and saw, not anger or hatred, but tenderness. This was too much for Severus. The tears he had been holding back in Dumbledore's office burst forth.

"Oh, Minerva," he cried, "I'm so sorry! I was too late, too late!"

Minerva stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"I know that Severus," she said softly, "I understand. I don't hate you."


	24. Chapter 24

This is the last chapter, sorry if there was some confusion about the previous chapter.

I'm sorry Kerichi found this fic silly and unworthy to finish, but alas, you can't win them all. I had a guy on read this fic whose only positive comment was that I had the guts to kill my own character.

Thanks to all who've taken the time to finish reading this and those who've left feedback. This was my first shot at writing fan fiction, I assure you my new fic is much better although I enjoyed writing this one.

The July morning dawned cold, the sky a murky gray. Minerva McGonagall sat alone in her garden, staring into space. She didn't hear the person approaching the bench where she sat, didn't notice the man as he sat beside her, it was a few moments before she felt the weight of his hand upon her own. When she finally realized this she started, and turned to see her former husband, Erik Potak, studying her face with gray eyes that, for once, held no sparkle.

They sat for a long time without speaking. There wasn't any need; they shared the same pain. His grief was hers, she knew without being told just how hard it was for him to keep breathing. They understood each other, as they had never had before.

Finally, Erik spoke, his voice raspy, like Minerva, he had not used his voice much over the past few days.

"Kitty," he said gently. "You should be getting dressed for the funeral."

She nodded, but did not move. Erik said nothing else, merely squeezed her hand and looked down at the ground.

-

A gentle breeze caressed the group of people seated atop the hill. It was a beautiful spot; gently sloping hills dotted with wildflowers, not a village or house in sight, but no one present was able to appreciate the scenery.

An open casket surrounded by lilies lay in front of the people, a man in a somber black cloak stood beside it reciting prayers. They were in Hebrew; a language only one person in the crowd could speak. After the rabbi had finished, a man arose and began to play bagpipes. As the eerie notes drifted across the hill, a sob emerged from the crowd and everyone turned their eyes away, a mother's grief is painful to witness.

The well of tears that Minerva had found dry had been replenished. The tears that had not come now came without restraint. She sobbed loudly; shoulders shaking, one hand pressed to her face the other holding tight to Erik's hand. Her grip was tight, her fingernails dug deep into Erik's palm, it was painful but he did not flinch, he did not seem aware of the present, his eyes were unfocused, fixed on a spot far in the distance.

A few rows behind the grieving parents sat Albus Dumbledore. His expression was grave and he looked upon the sobbing Minerva with as much sympathy as it was possible for one person to express. Beside him sat Fidelus Flitwick, tears leaking from his eyes. Flitwick's tiny wife Hannah was crying too, she wiped her eyes with an embroidered handkerchief and sniffed, they had known Celeste since her birth and had loved her like a niece.

In the row opposite Dumbledore and the Flitwicks sat Lily and her husband James Potter. Because Remus, Minerva, and Erik had all been in no condition to do anything since Celeste's death, Lily, James and Sirius Black had made the funeral arrangements. Now Lily sat with her head upon James' shoulder, crying softly. The Weasley family sat behind them, all five children unusually well behaved and looking just as somber as their parents, both of who were crying.

In the seat beside Erik Potak sat Remus Lupin. Unlike Minerva, he had cried more than a few times since Celeste's death, but he still had plenty of tears left. He was slumped forward in his seat, sobbing, holding his face in his hands. Sirius Black sat beside him, one hand on Remus' shoulder, face set.

There were many other witches and wizards present, all of whom with wet eyes and heavy hearts. There was one wizard, however, who sat in the very back row, eyes dry and fixed upon the ground. Severus Snape had run out of tears days before, but the aching in his heart was no less, in fact it had grown. He had had a brief glimpse of Celeste's pale body when he had arrived, the sight of her bloodless lips and frozen form had sent a chill through his body. She was dead, she was never going to laugh or dance or cry ever again. Severus had learned from Minerva that Celeste and Remus had been engaged, Severus could remember vividly the day Celeste had told him she was in love with Remus Lupin, this memory cut a deeper hole into Severus' heart, Celeste would have been so happy as Remus' wife. But that didn't matter now because Celeste was dead. Severus and Remus had not spoken but Severus knew exactly how Remus was feeling, because the grief that showed plainly on Remus' features was the same grief that was etched onto Severus' heart. Severus tried to avoid thinking about Remus as much as possible; he hated him for many reasons but mostly because Severus knew that Remus had deserved Celeste's love and friendship far more than he had.

The bagpipes went silent and the only sound that could be heard was the poignant sound of sobs from Minerva and Remus. These sounds seemed to be swallowed up in the deafening silence, a silence so thick Severus felt he would be smothered. But Severus knew what the silence truly was, Minerva, Erik, and Remus understood it too. It was the hole, the great, gaping chasm where Celestina Amber Potak had once been; they understood it when no one else did, because it was the same silence that filled their hearts.

THE END


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